by Rex Chapman
First published 2024
Rex Chapman opens his story as Kentucky's basketball king, the first draft pick of the Charlotte Hornets who dazzled crowds with dunks and clutch shots across twelve NBA seasons. Behind the glory, Chapman hides a growing dependency on Vicodin and Oxycontin that escalates to fifty pills daily. His gambling addiction nearly costs him $400,000 in a single Las Vegas blackjack session. These twin compulsions destroy his marriage, drain his $40 million career earnings, and leave him sleeping in his car while shoplifting to feed his habits. When police arrest him and his mugshot hits national headlines, Chapman finally confronts his demons. Cowritten with Seth Davis, this memoir traces Chapman's path from Kentucky legend to rock bottom and back. He examines his lifelong depression, the racism he witnessed growing up, and his troubled bond with his father, also a former professional player. The book reveals how Chapman rebuilt himself into the social media voice now followed by millions for his honest, uplifting messages about human struggle and redemption.
Genres: mental-health, addiction, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, second-chance
Setting: Charlotte, Kentucky, Las Vegas
Period: 12 NBA Seasons
272 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: addiction, depression, substance-abuse