‘I’m here to tell you my nightmares’: Former NBA star Chris Herren shares recovery story
September 8, 2023
NESPA Winner: News story, 2023
The Ghostwriter, Westford Academy, Westford, MA
Packed with students in the PAC (Performing Arts Center) and main gymnasium, former NBA star Chris Herren visited Westford Academy on Tuesday, Nov. 22, to share his recovery from substance and drug addiction that started when he was only 13 years old.
“I’m not here to tell you my dreams,” Herren said. “I’m here to tell you my nightmares.”
At the start of the speech, Herren prefaced his story by relating to students. He explained that when he was in high school, he also sat at an assembly, wanting his mother to pick him up from school early because he didn’t think discussions about drug abuse were important. However, Herren mentioned that as he sat in the crowd, he also dealt with addiction, which is why these kinds of assemblies were necessary. Now, he wants students, addicts or not, to understand the effect addictions can have on everyone, not just the addict.
