Former NBA basketball player Chris Herren will speak to Saint Joseph's student-athletes on October 23, about his battle with drug and alcohol addiction. It marks the third consecutive year that Herren will speak to the Hawks as part of SJU's Life Skills program.

Herren will share the story of his downfall after playing college basketball and realizing his dream and playing point guard with the Boston Celtics, only to lose it to addiction.

Drug-free since August 2008, Herren started a program called "Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren" in 2009 to mentor young basketball players on and off the court. He also published an autobiography, Basketball Junkie: A Memoir, in 2011.

He also established The Herren Project in 2011, a non-profit foundation that assists individuals and families struggling with addiction. Herren was the subject of "Unguarded" a documentary in ESPN's "30 for 30" series.

Herren will speak to SJU student-athletes at 5 p.m. in the Foley Center on the Maguire Campus.

Herren's 14-year battle with drug addiction began during his freshman year at Boston College, when he tried cocaine for the first time. He was kicked out of the school the same year after failing three drug tests for marijuana and cocaine use.

The drug abuse continued at Fresno State, where Herren played basketball from 1996 to 1999. 

In 2000, Herren was drafted by the Denver Nuggets before being traded to the Boston Celtics. He developed an addiction to several prescription painkillers during his time in the NBA, and went on to use heroin and crystal meth while playing basketball overseas.

Herren's drug abuse has resulted in several overdoses and felonies, including driving under the influence and possession of heroin.