What is Chris Herren's Net Worth?
Chris Herren is a former professional basketball player who has a net worth of $1 million. Chris Herren played in a number of different leagues around the world during his career from 1999 to 2006. After starting out in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics, he played for teams in Italy, Turkey, China, Germany, Iran, and Poland. Following his retirement as a player, Herren began traveling the United States doing motivational talks about substance abuse and mental health awareness.
Early Life and Education
Chris Herren was born on September 27, 1975 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Raised Catholic, he served as an altar boy growing up. As a teenager, Herren attended B.M.C. Durfee High School, where multiple of his descendants played basketball. He played basketball there, as well, finishing his career with a total of 2,073 points. In his senior year, Herren was named a McDonald's All-American. He went on to attend Boston College, although he played just one game there before a wrist injury ruled him out for the entire 1994-95 season. Following his injury, Herren failed drug tests for marijuana and cocaine and was consequently expelled from Boston College.
After his expulsion from Boston College, Herren transferred to California State University, Fresno. Under coach Jerry Tarkanian, he finished his first season at Fresno State averaging 17.5 points per game. The next season, Herren failed a drug test and reported to a rehabilitation center for three weeks. He ended up finishing the season on a strong note, however, leading the Fresno State Bulldogs to the National Invitation Tournament. Herren played one more season at the school in 1998-99. He finished his career at Fresno State with averages of 15.1 points and 5.1 assists per game in 86 games.
Professional Playing Career
In the 1999 NBA draft, Herren was chosen by the Denver Nuggets in the second round. He played one season with the team, averaging 3.1 points per game in 45 games as the Nuggets posted a 35-47 record. Herren went on to play for the Boston Celtics in the 2000-01 season. In just 25 games, he averaged 3.3 points per game. The team finished the season with a 36-46 record. After the season, Herren went overseas and joined the Italian basketball club Fortitudo Bologna. In 2002, he played for the Turkish team Galatasaray before moving to the Chinese team the Beijing Ducks. The Ducks finished the 2002-03 CBA season with a 12-14 record, and ultimately made it to the semifinals of the playoffs. Remaining in China, Herren played for the Jiangsu Dragons in the 2003-04 season. That season, the team finished second in the league with a 15-7 record, and reached the semifinals in the playoffs. Herren subsequently played for the German club BS Energy Braunschweig in 2004, and for the Iranian club Paykan in 2005. He finished his playing career with the Polish club Anwil Włocławek in 2006.
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Substance Abuse
For a substantial part of his career, Herren battled substance abuse. In college, he used marijuana and cocaine, and during his time in the NBA he began abusing painkillers such as OxyContin and Percocet. In late 2004, Herren was charged with possession of heroin after he passed out in the drive-thru of a Rhode Island Dunkin' Donuts. Later, in 2008, he overdosed on heroin and crashed into a utility pole. Herren sought help through intensive rehabilitation programs and became sober in August of 2008.
Advocacy
Following his long recovery from substance abuse, Herren began advocating for substance abuse and mental health awareness. In 2011, he published the book "Basketball Junkie: A Memoir," co-authored by Bill Reynolds. Also that year, ESPN aired the documentary "Unguarded," about Herren's career and his struggles with substance use. Herren went on to become a motivational speaker traveling the United States with his program Herren Talks, through which he has spread awareness of mental health and substance abuse to millions of attendees. In 2018, he founded the residential drug rehabilitation and treatment organization Herren Wellness, which has centers in Massachusetts. Focused on holistic wellness, the centers offer life coaching, yoga, fitness activities, interventions, and recovery management services.
Personal Life & Real Estate
With his wife Heather, Herren has three children. One of the children, Chris Jr., played college basketball at Boston College.
In May 2014, Chris and Heather paid $622,000 for a home in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Today, this home is worth around $1.5 million.
