Chris Herren

Chris Herren has transitioned from a professional basketball player to a motivational speaker and advocate for substance use prevention and recovery. He now shares his personal journey and empowers audiences to address addiction and mental wellness. After setting a school record with 2,073 career points at B.M.C. Durfee High School, Chris Herren went on to be recognized as The Boston Globe and Gatorade player of the year in 1994, the same year he earned a spot on the McDonald’s All-America Team.

He later co-authored ‘Basketball Junkie: A Memoir’ in 2011 and was the subject of the critically acclaimed ESPN documentary ‘Unguarded,’ released in 2011, which subsequently received two Emmy nominations in 2012. Expanding his commitment to support others, Herren founded the non-profit Herren Project in 2011. Building on his impactful advocacy work, Herren founded Herren Wellness, a residential rehabilitation and treatment center, in 2018. He now travels extensively, delivering approximately 200 talks annually through Herren Talks, reaching over two million individuals to share his personal journey and advocate for substance use prevention and mental wellness, focusing on the ‘first day’ of the issue rather than the ‘last.’ Through these efforts, Herren continues to empower audiences globally to address addiction and mental health challenges.