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Basketball Junkie: A Memoir

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 317 ratings · 59 reviews

I was dead for thirty seconds.

That’s what the cop in Fall River told me.

When the EMTs found me, there was a needle in my arm and a packet of heroin in the front seat.

At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had cr...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by St. Martin's Press (first published April 28th 2011)

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May 10, 2013 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered what happens to people after reading a biography? Fall River Dreams is the story of year in the life of 17 year old Chris Herren. Basketball Junkie is the answer to what happened to him after Fall River and it is much more nightmare than dream. Amazingly talented as a basketball player Chris becomes drug addicted and blows his career with drugs and alcohol. But this is a story of redemption and survival. Which is also the story of Fall River, his hometown, and another char...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

A honest story of addiction and all the terror it inflicts.

Chris Herren:
"No one sets out to be an addict. No one sets out to ruin their life and the lives of all the people around them. No one sets out to see the anguish in the eyes of the people who love them. No one sets out to live the life I led. It happens over time, sure. but it also happens when you don't address your issues.......

I also tell them (kids) I was never the most fucked up kid in my circle of friends in high school, never the...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Grant Martignetti rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Basketball Junkie”

“Basketball Junkie” is a memoir written by a professional basketball star Chris Herren. It follows the life of a young kid who attends Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. Like all high school basketball players dreams, he wanted to be the best and be recruited to a top level college and then continue his career in the NBA. Not only that, but Chris was a top recruit who was selected as a McDonald’s all American and chose to be a hometown hero and committed to play...more “Basketball Junkie”

“Basketball Junkie” is a memoir written by a professional basketball star Chris Herren. It follows the life of a young kid who attends Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. Like all high school basketball players dreams, he wanted to be the best and be recruited to a top level college and then continue his career in the NBA. Not only that, but Chris was a top recruit who was selected as a McDonald’s all American and chose to be a hometown hero and committed to play basketball at Boston College. Nothing could get better than that, entering college as the player to watch on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, Chris had everything going for him.
He went on to college to be a star but soon found out he was kicked out of the university because he was caught with obsessive use of drugs on and off the court. His dream was coming to a crumble when one remaining division 1 coach at Fresno State decided to give him a chance. He once again began to shine on the court but live a lie off the court. He was constantly getting in trouble for his addiction and had to face rehab a few times, but this was nothing that was going to stop him. As long as he had a basketball in one hand, he had a syringe in the other. He finished his college career and went on to the NBA with the Denver nuggets, a year later he was traded to the Celtics and labeled “The Home town Hero” once again. Drugs took over his career and now he was the bum that sat on the street outside of the garden waiting for his heroin dealer to arrive so he could go play in his game later that evening.
He ran into numerous problems with the law and his family, but nothing could stop him. It was not until he died for 35 seconds and brought back to life to actually listen to his wife when she said “this is it, fix it, or you are never seeing me, or your kids ever again.” He had hit an all-time low and he was not ready to ruin his career. He quit basketball and established a steady job and family life, while spreading his story to everyone who wants to listen.
I have never read a book as great as this one right here. It is the easiest book to connect with because this is something we see all the time being in high school. When everything seems to be great on the outside, it might not be on the inside, and there is something that needs to be done to help you fix it. Everyone can get to this point, but why get there, if you can avoid the situation from the beginning. It seems so naive to say, because it is not that easy, but when you can learn from others and see how bad it is, you might be able to help yourself turn it all around.
(less)

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Aug 12, 2011 Tatasoutsidevoice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not the greatest book in the world, but an easy, fast read to pass the time peppered with a few insightful thought-provoking revelations.
Very candid - took a lot of courage for the author to be so honest. And if his experiences help just one person, it's worth it IMHO. A new concept for me: maybe it's more therapeutic for the writer to write than it is for the reader to read. Maybe it's not about us.

"I was in the NBA, I was about to make nearly half a million dollars in my second year, I was ma...more

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May 18, 2011 Eileen Granfors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: families, medical-issues, memoir, school-stories, sports

I saw this title, "Basketball Junkie," and assumed it would be a journal of someone following March Madness, from game to game across the country. I won it here on goodreads and was fascinated by the true story.

Instead, Bill Reynolds writes with Chris Herren. Chris is a legend in a town that worships basketball, Fall River, MA. Chris becomes a basketball superstar and a street junkie, someone who is given the world little kids only dream of. He throws it all away on drugs. First it was alcohol,...more I saw this title, "Basketball Junkie," and assumed it would be a journal of someone following March Madness, from game to game across the country. I won it here on goodreads and was fascinated by the true story.

Instead, Bill Reynolds writes with Chris Herren. Chris is a legend in a town that worships basketball, Fall River, MA. Chris becomes a basketball superstar and a street junkie, someone who is given the world little kids only dream of. He throws it all away on drugs. First it was alcohol, then other drugs, then Oxy, then cocaine, then heroin. He was dropped from two college programs (Boston College and Fresno State). He never played for fun. He played for his team, his coach, his father. He felt the weight of others' expectation. Then he was drafted into the NBA, where he had more money and his size made him play like a beast, tearing into opponents, and earning a rep for himself. His career among the pro teams was fitful, for he was a user even as he competed at the highest level. He had a ton of talent and learned about hard work. He carried a ton of guilt about his addiction, which only made his addiction worse.

He played in Europe, in Asia, and the bottom fell out in Turkey.

Along the way, his high school love stays with him though they fight frequently. When there is no farther to fall, he enters another rehab. He keeps deluding himself that he can quit whenever he wants to. Only when he admits he is not in control, that his children would be better off without him, does Chris finally see the light of change and hope.

What I liked about Chris's story is that Chris does not blame his coaches for not understanding him, nor does he blame the schools for throwing him out. Once he begins tutoring younger kids, he says "that's the beauty of it"--he has lived their lives and can mentor them forward through his own mistakes.

"Basketball Junkie" is a terrifying portrait of what drugs do to the human body. In fiction, I liked Roxana Robinson's "Cost" for her portrayal of the cost of drugs to family relationships and James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" for the expression of how drug addiction feels. For its truth about a fall from grace, I recommend this true story of Chris Herren, one more guy who had it all and threw it all away. His honesty is refreshing. His humility about his NBA career, which he calls "a blip on the radar screen," could possibly set some kids straight on the value of values versus the value of excelling at as an athlete. Even a superstar is a human being with human failings(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Vardan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being a basketball player, anything with that sport on a cover attracts my attention. The book "Basketball Junkie: A Memoir" was a rough one to go through, but it was worth it. The story is about a kid, Chris, making it to the NBA, achieving his childhood dream. However, throughout the years his career crumbled apart as he got used to drugs and alcohol. "I knew that they were going to be all right. We all were going to be all right." This quote gave me the idea of how hard it was to cross that b...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Timothy rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you've ever wondered why someone becomes a junkie or continuously throws positives of their lives away, this is a book for you to gain insight into one particular case. There is a universal bottoming of cheating, stealing and lying which comes through and how Chris's addiction becomes the most important focus of his life. His recovery and the chance at life he has now gives hope to anyone that may be struggling.

Functionally, the transitions within this book chapters could have been smoother,...more

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May 31, 2011 Edward rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not quite so savage about this book as Barry was, but my concern for Chris Herren is that his recovery has been less than three years and that is not a long time for one so addicted as he was. We can only hope for his sake and that of his family, he can maintain his recovery. I did enjoy the descriptions of Fall River and since I love basketball, his journey was interesting.

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Feb 24, 2012 Chris Fenaroli rated it 4 of 5 stars

Basketball Junkie by Chris Herren gives you a frightening example of how detrimental drugs are to the users life. Chris Herren grew up in Fall River, a small working class town in Massachusetts, close to Boston, where basketball was the only thing that mattered. His family pressures him a lot, and he manages to exceed all their expectations. While he is great at basketball, he doesn’t enjoy it, the pressure and intensity ruined it. He and his friends soon entered the world of drugs, and from the...more Basketball Junkie by Chris Herren gives you a frightening example of how detrimental drugs are to the users life. Chris Herren grew up in Fall River, a small working class town in Massachusetts, close to Boston, where basketball was the only thing that mattered. His family pressures him a lot, and he manages to exceed all their expectations. While he is great at basketball, he doesn’t enjoy it, the pressure and intensity ruined it. He and his friends soon entered the world of drugs, and from then on his career went up, but his life went down. He went to Fresno State University, and then was drafted to the Denver Nuggets, all the while with a secret addiction. He even was drafted by the Celtics. He would have been living his lifelong dream, if it hadn’t had been for his addiction. Instead he was living hell, he could keep up as long as he had drugs in his system, so therefore in order to hide his addiction, he had to let the drugs dictate his life. During warm ups minutes before a game, he would have to leave and drive to find his dealer, just so he could get through the game without suffering. His whole career was perilously balancing on how long he could hide his addiction, and he couldn’t do it forever. In 2004, he was charged with possession of heroin and driving under the influence with a revoked license, and now his career was failing too. For the next four years, his life was controlled by the drugs, and he’d travel around the world playing in different leagues, and then getting fired due to his addiction, until he reached a low point. He was found passed out in an alley in Tehran, after overdosing.
It feels like the point of this book is to deter adolescents from drugs, and it does so very well. This story is simply told. Chris Herren writes it bluntly and honestly, and he isn’t afraid to reveal the uglier parts of his life, and this makes it very effective in describing the horrors of addiction, “Some nights on the road I was so depressed I would sit in my hotel room and cry, just lie there sobbing. I had become so strapped by my addiction. It had robbed me of so much. Many times coming clean and admitting everything was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t get the words out. The idea of the publicity, the shame, the horror of it, crippled me... Knowing that as soon as you do that, the checks stop and your world crumbles, and nothing will ever be the same again?(174)” His honesty about how terrible his life was very successful in scaring readers. But what truly is great about the book is its story. The way Chris lives his double life for so many years, then nearly loses everything and struggles to get back up. For me it was the fact that he actually lived the experiences he wrote about that makes it so gripping. And it was even more incredible how he managed to escape his hell. His story has made him a sought after motivational speaker and the subject of multiple television documentaries, and has provided inspiration to many.(less)

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May 18, 2011 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads and was excited to be able to read it.

That feeling, however, was short lived.

The underlying theme and purpose of the book had a ton of potential. Chris Herren goes through his professional basketball career as an absolute junkie, to the detriment of his family and his coaches. The book explains the timelines of events from when he started doping and drinking to when he finally decided to put his family first.

First of all, let me say, I am extr...more I received this book through Goodreads First Reads and was excited to be able to read it.

That feeling, however, was short lived.

The underlying theme and purpose of the book had a ton of potential. Chris Herren goes through his professional basketball career as an absolute junkie, to the detriment of his family and his coaches. The book explains the timelines of events from when he started doping and drinking to when he finally decided to put his family first.

First of all, let me say, I am extremely proud of Chris for finally realizing his problem and doing something about it. I hope, for his sake and his familys' sake that he is still living life sober and telling others what he went through. That being said, the book is forgettable on a couple of levels.

Basically this was a timeline of events and occurances. There was no dialogue, no mention of what he was going through inside of his head during his lowest points--only that he was detoxing and sweating and crying...it was just surface facts of what he went through. There were few quotes from coaches or family, but no conversations. The author speaks about his wife and how she was strong, but doesn't offer much else to the relationship between the two of them. Why did she stay? How did she try to help? I can understand that being a junkie/druggie, you push everyone important to you away. I get that...but there has to be more to this story and more about the addiction and absolutely more about the process of recovery. There needs to be more to capture and motivate. The book doesn't delve into the depths of what he had to go through in rehab or with his family. Being an outsider isn't enough.

I understand the several grammatical errors, since this was an uncorrected version and the sentence structure/paragraph structure left something to be desired. I would honestly love to read the finished product to see how it changes. I know it has the ability to be a great memoir that can teach people about coping with recovery if the author would open up. After all, he obviously wants the story out there for the world to see. Make it real...make it honest. I know there was more to the experience of the whole thing than this.(less)

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May 07, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA, People who enjoy memoirs

*I received a free copy of this book through First Reads*

This isn't exactly a new concept is is? Someone on top falling into a downward spiral because of an addiction.

There have been so many of these types of books coming out lately, yet I read almost all of them? Why? Because each person is unique in their own way, which makes for an interesting read. The author is incredibly honest in all of his ordeals and he doesn't try to put the blame on anyone but himself; unlike some other authors.

One t...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Knowing nothing about basketball, the city of Fall River, MA, or the machinations of professional sports I picked up this book. Chris Herren was the golden boy. A legacy basketball player in Fall River with a Dad and an older brother who excelled at high school basketball. The family pressure to succeed combined with an incredible natural talent lead Herren eventually to the ultimate New England boys dream; to play for the Boston Celtics. An ongoing struggle with alcohol, cocaine, and opiates fi...more

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May 21, 2011 LC Piper rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Home Town Basketball fans who don't mind reading profanity and drug use.

I like to point out the good things first, because quite frankly, reguardless to how bad a book may be, it's still a book and that takes time, effort and is worth of recognition.
The writing in Basketball Junkie is fine. It's easy to read, the sentance structure is smooth.
I had difficulty with the story due to the profanity. I don't mind too much at the occation speed bump in my reading, but it was too often for me. The story starts right off with drug use which really turned me off. So essential...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, own, won, main-floor-books, reviewed

**I received this book through Good Reads First Reads**

I've given most of the memoirs that I have read lately bad reviews. One in particular I gave a bad review to because the author "name dropped" throughout the entire book. So did Chris Herren, but I'm a big NBA fan and in particular a big Denver Nuggets fan, so I loved the name dropping! I remember when Chris Herren was with the Nuggets, which made this book a little more interesting for me.

I appreciated his experience with addiction. I knew...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Andreea Daia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, memoir, sports, recommended, read-2011

******Full Disclosure**** This was an ARC copy, that was received through the GoodReads Advance program. I am grateful for the chance to have read this novel, which I might not have purchased otherwise.
-------

Excellent, if chilling, testimony of the devastating consequences of drug abuse, not only on users but on everyone around them too. I really loved reading this momoir, its honesty, its sense of hope (even if this was sometimes deeply hiden under layers of psychosis, depression, or sense of...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, skip-it

There's a reason I don't like reading memoirs of drugs addicts. Well there 's a few reasons but mainly because I don't like the whiny tone they all have. This one is no exception. Written by a high school basketball star who actually made it to the NBA only to be brought down by his expensive all consuming drug addiciont, this story follows a predictable pattern. He wants to stop using, he stops using, he falls victim to temptation, repeat over and over. Supposedly clean since the birth of his 3...more

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May 11, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, own

Yup. I love basketball. Yup. I'm from Massachusetts. How could I NOT devour this book?! Herren's story is both depressing and inspirational at the same time- since he came through on the other side. But most of the narrative was about the f***ups leading up to his turn around, which is fine, but if you're looking for a treatise on how to overcome, don't bother with this, it wouldn't be detailed enough for your purposes. Even at his worst, Chris still seems like a pretty likable fella, though he'...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Mike González rated it 3 of 5 stars

Chris Herren was one of my favorite college basketball players ever and I was happy to find this book because I didn't know what happened to his life after his well-documented issues with drugs. I am proud of Chris and it seems he had controlled his demons. While this book is not the best written, it is an easy read that provides a cautionary tale, albeit a basic one, on how easy it is for people to get addicted to drugs and lose everything.

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Apr 14, 2013 John Cardozo marked it as to-read

Shelves: sports, memoir

Having read and enjoyed the book, Fall River Dreams, about high school basketball player, Chris Herren, I've found myself wondering from time to time how his career was going and whether he was living up to all his potential and playing in the pros.

Now the surprising answer and the tragic tale of his life is captured in his memoir (co-written with Bill Reynolds who wrote Fall River Dreams).

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Nov 02, 2012 Rob Eelkema rated it 5 of 5 stars

Everybody has a past and some more high profile than most. Chris Herren made it to the big show.....the NBA and Boston Celtics but did not appreciate it as much as somebody looking in from the outside. Chris was a big drug addict and the book covers every gritty detail. Very good read and should be read by anybody that has or had some sort of addiction.

Highly recommend

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Aug 23, 2011 Sandi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sports, read-2011

I read and really enjoyed Fall River Dreams: A Team's Quest for Glory, A Town's Search for Its Soul so decided to pick up this book to learn the rest of the story. A very honest look at how addictions can completely take over a life.

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Aug 16, 2011 Dale Stonehouse rated it 3 of 5 stars

A pretty typical addiction memoir, Herren's lifelong bouts with basketball and drugs are well-chronicled here, but nothing stands out from similar accounts. A little more history of Fall River would have been nice, but Fall River Dreams covered that territory previously. The happy ending of sobriety and family recovery is nice and hopefully it will continue.

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Mar 18, 2013 Danielle King rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, sports

I love books involving sports, and Chris Herren's memoir was no exception. Through his book, he brings readers along his rough journey of basketball and drug addiction, from high school all the way up to the NBA. I couldn't put this book down and finished it in two days- thanks to my friend, Jackie, for recommending it to me!

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Dec 30, 2012 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Growing up in Boston, I can remember following Chris Herren's career, routing for him to make it in basketball and being devastated, along with everyone else in New England when things got bad. It's not the most well written book: a bit chaotic, sometimes confusing and repetitive. But, quite frankly, that's what Chris Herren's life was and the fact that he could even remember enough of it to put his nightmare into words is very impressive. You will easily overlook the issues with the way the boo...more

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May 29, 2012 Mattmiller rated it 4 of 5 stars

I remember watching Chris Herren in the McDonald's All-American game. To be honest, white guys always stuck out to me in those kinds of all-star situations. I also remember seeing stuff about him in that documentary about Fresno State. He definitely was a talented player and I knew he had trouble with drugs, but I had no idea about his spiral to rock bottom.

This book is a very honest look at the life of a young super star basketball player (by that player, now in his mid 30s) who slowly slipped...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

memoir of small town kid from big basketball family who became a 'legend'. also became a huge drug addict. His story of playing bbball and living up to the dream of what everyone wanted him to be. Almost died and story of his drug abuse is horrific. now married with kids, clean. good read.

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Nov 10, 2012 Catherine Hjort rated it 4 of 5 stars

WOW! I read this book in one sitting. So powerful, brutal, sometime hard to read as the author continues to make bad choices that affect not only himself but so many others. In the end he is an inspiration to all but the biggest hero in this book is his wife.

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Mar 02, 2012 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

i think this book was very detailed and also it showed you the rights and wrongs of being famous and having money.Also this book should me that you should never give up you can over come anything in your way or holding you back.But over all i really like this book.

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Jul 27, 2012 Kevin Comfort rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great story about a basketball star that had it all and the downward spiral of drug addiction. A quick great read. A great companion to the 30 for 30 documentary that was made about Chris Herren. A great inspiration and courageous will shown from this person!

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Nov 27, 2012 Cami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-autobiography

Chris Herron had it all. Colleges everywhere tried to recruit him to be a basketball guard on their team. He eventually went to the NBA and played for the Celtics. Unfortunately, his life spiraled out of control from drug and alcohol abuse.

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About Chris Herren

Chris Herren is a former NBA basketball player for the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics. His company, Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, Inc., provides basketball training for young players as well as educational talks. He lives in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

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