NBA Star-Turned-Advocate Inspires Lawrentians During Wellness Week

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NBA Star-Turned-Advocate Inspires Lawrentians During Wellness Week

It’s not easy to hear Chris Herren tell his life's complex story. A high school and college basketball superstar, Herren was drafted into the NBA in 1999 and ended up playing for his hometown Boston Celtics. His hardwood stats are impressive, but it’s his off-the-court journey that will truly earn your respect. A recovering alcohol and drug addict, Herren - now an author, motivational speaker, and wellness advocate - was the keynote speaker in the Kirby Arts Center on Jan. 15 for Lawrenceville’s Wellness Week.

He asked students to think carefully about the early signs of and reasons for addiction. Most speakers on the topic, he said, “want to show you the end, but not the nitty gritty on how it begins. . . the scariest thing about suffering from addiction at this age is no one knows how things will turn out for you.”

Herren encouraged students to reach out for help, both for themselves and for friends. “Your friends are sitting here today, thinking about you. They don’t know what to say. [They need to find] the courage to tell you what nobody wants to tell you: We’re worried about you. We feel uneasy and kind of sad,” he stated.

“I look at this [talk] as an opportunity for you to maybe think about some of the mistakes you are making, the risks you are taking,” Herren added. “After everything I’ve been through, I wish I thought more of myself. I wish I’d walked into my [high school] guidance counselor’s office and told her, ‘I am a little worried about the kid I’m becoming. If I’m honest, I’m really good at basketball, but I don’t care much about myself outside of that.’”

Herren’s ultimate goal was clear: “Maybe for one of you today is the moment when you say, ‘I don’t feel good about myself anymore. I walk around with a smile on my face, but there’s a struggle inside of me.’”

Following Herren’s talk, Lawrentians met in advisory groups to talk about what they heard and what they learned. “Mr. Herren opened my eyes to the human side of addiction,” said Gabriel Yonamine ‘26. “His story allowed me to acknowledge for the first time that anyone, myself included, could fall victim to drug issues.”

Simi Rath ‘26 found Herren’s talk to be “a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the impact of the choices we make.” She appreciated his honesty and was “inspired to reflect on the importance of supporting one another and being proactive in bettering our community here at Lawrenceville.”

Rath hosted a Wellness Week workshop last Saturday, where she engaged with Lawrentians she had not previously met. “Mr. Herren’s message about being committed to taking care of each other no matter what was in action during this workshop, and I am forever grateful for opportunities to meet new people on campus and make school enjoyable for all,” she said.

Third Former Story Taylor said that Herren taught her “the importance of making decisions that allow you to be the best version of yourself. I think especially in high school, it's easy to make unhealthy choices when faced with peer pressure, but stepping out of those situations and doing what is right for you is the most powerful thing you can do.”

Lawrenceville Wellness Week ends on Jan. 16, concluding seven-days of activities that allowed students to explore, learn about, and practice habits that promote holistic health. Each day’s events had a different wellness focus - emotional, environmental, spiritual, professional, social, intellectual, and physical - along with a Big Red Day of Rest. It was a week of numerous opportunities to build skills that nurture wellbeing and set the foundation for a fulfilling year ahead.

“This talk from Mr. Herren fit into Wellness Week because it taught us a bit more about the importance of staying substance free in order to be the best versions of ourselves,” said Taylor.  “If we aren't doing well as individuals, whether that be emotionally or physically, it makes it significantly harder to put effort into how we treat other people. Keeping ourselves healthy means that we have more energy to contribute to our community as a whole and focus on being good friends and students.” 

See Wellness Week photos on Lawrenceville’s Flickr page.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.