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Former NBA Player Herren to Speak on Dangers of Opioid Addiction Jan. 30

Tue, 01/02/2018 - 04:10pm

Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services and The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Athletics are partnering to present a program on the school's Hattiesburg campus designed to raise awareness of the dangers of opioid addiction among young adults.

Former NBA professional basketball player Chris Herren will be the guest speaker for the presentation, titled “Rebound: The Chris Herren Story” Tuesday, Jan. 30 from 6-8 p.m. at the Thad Cochran Center. South Mississippi youth, their parents, coaches, educators, health care professionals and others interested in hearing Herren's story are invited to attend this free event, but encouraged to register in advance at http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/addiction-resources.html.

Herren is a basketball legend from Fall River, Mass., who dreamed of playing for his hometown team, the Boston Celtics. An All-American, he broke scoring records, was recruited by top colleges, and was featured in Sports Illustrated. Herren achieved his dream of playing in the NBA when he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1999 and was traded to the Boston Celtics after his rookie season, but lost it all due to substance abuse.

Herren's story is a tale of a harrowing descent into addiction, a miraculous recovery and his new life mission: to share his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in their life. Alcohol and drug free since Aug. 1, 2008, Herren re-focused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else.

For more information, contact Colleen Munkel at cmunkel@forrestgeneral.com.