Students sit should-to-shoulder in the large gym and wait. They talk quietly and scroll on their phones in anticipation of what’s to come. As the introductory video about the guest speaker ends, the gym goes silent.
Then out walks former NBA player Chris Herren.
Students erupt into applause and crane their necks to catch a glimpse of him. On Oct. 10, Herren came to DGS to speak about his past struggles with drug addiction during a Red Ribbon Week assembly. Herren dealt with substance abuse issues for over 10 years, starting in high school. The talk provided an insight into what he went through and what his life is like in recovery.
Along with talking at DGS during seventh period, Herren presented at DGN in the morning and hosted a session for community members at night on Oct. 10. Since 2009, Herren has spoken to over a million students across the country about his battle with addiction. He has been to DGS three times in the past–the last time being in 2017.
Herren wants to educate teenagers on the effects that using substances at such an early age can have. Herren himself has said that drug addiction is a “torturous life” and he hopes to provide help to those that are struggling.
“You know after 13 years of doing this and kind of fielding the responses and the emails, you know, if I can impact someone in that gym to either get the help that they need or walk into guidance to kind of hone whatever they’re struggling with, that’s why I do it,” Herren said.
Ever since attending rehabilitation and becoming sober, Herren has started speaking at schools, in communities and to athletic teams. When talking about his story, Herren frequently talks about his first day and how his addiction started. The fact that Herren talks about how his addiction started is a big reason why the school has him come into talk to the student body, as explained by Student Assistance Coordinator Antonia Stamatoukos.
“The first day started in high school when he began using marijuana and drinking just recreationally thinking it was no big deal. And then over the years, he saw how it turned into an addiction; he thought that it would never be him. So that’s why it’s really important to have him here for Red Ribbon Week, just for students that are using, even students that aren’t using to just understand the effects substances can have when you’re a teenager,” Stamatoukos said.
Herren also agrees that when hearing about drug addiction, many people only see how the addiction ends or when it is at its worst.
“It will be a different presentation, kind of focusing on the social and emotional part of substance use at a young age. I’ll say it when I go up there, but I think we spend too much time on how drugs look in the end rather than the first day,” Herren said.
For current DGS students, this is the first time they have heard Herren speak in person. Students have watched videos about him in the past during Red Ribbon week but seeing his speech in person is different from a video. Senior Ellery Johnson shares her thoughts on Herren’s talk.
“I think his talk was powerful, but I wish we could have heard more from him instead of the video. His talk was very impactful. It was very easy to relate to him and understand him,” Johnson said.
Herren’s presentation opened with a 30 minute video detailing his struggles with addiction throughout his basketball career. Herren played basketball in college and then went professional, playing for the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics. Throughout his basketball career, Herren turned to drugs to get through his days, but has now been sober for the past 15 years.
“I took a chance at dying everyday for 10 years, shooting heroin is a tough life. That torture and you know that battle you go through on a daily basis, mentally, physically and emotionally was extremely–to say the least–difficult. So, the freedom that recovery has given me on so many levels of my life is the purpose,” Herren said.
Since his recovery, Herren has started several foundations that are dedicated to helping people recover from addiction, as well as educate others about the struggle people go through on a day to day basis. His foundations include Herren Talks, Herren Wellness and Herren Project.
DGS senior Lauren Donahue shares what she took away from the assembly.
“I would say to speak out if you’re struggling, seeing as he didn’t and it affected his career path. If someone spoke out now they could get the help they need,” Donahue said.
Even though Herren talks about the importance of seeing the first day and not just the final days, he also talks about why he believes recovery is important.
“There’s freedom in recovery. There’s freedom not only for the person that struggles with drugs, but for the people that love that person,” Herren said.
