Rex Chapman is a former University of Kentucky Basketball All-American. He was his home state of Kentucky’s ‘Mr. Basketball’ in 1986, McDonald’s All-American and CBS Sports named him National High School Player Of The Year. Upon entering the 1988 NBA draft following his sophomore season at UK he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with 8th overall pick in the 1st round. He was named to the 1988 NBA All-Rookie Team, placed 3rd in the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Competition and scored just shy of 10,000 career points. He retired from playing in 2000. Following his playing career Rex spent a decade front offices of both the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

 

Rex, like many other athletes, suffered injuries throughout his playing career. Rex missed some 250 games due to injury over a dozen NBA seasons. He had seven different orthopedic surgeries during his final three years of NBA basketball. He never took painkillers for more than a few days post-op ... until that appendectomy. He was then prescribed a 30-day supply of Oxycontin - totaling 90-pills ... a
and the journey began. 

 

He loved the way it made him feel. Growing up, Rex was always an introvert around strangers, so the confidence that he felt he gained by taking pain pills was an actual social relief. He felt it made him a better and friendlier version of himself. He was more talkative and felt more at-ease in awkward social settings. Rex has always described OxyContin, Vicodin, Lortab and all prescription opiates as ‘It’ll be alright’ pills. He adds, “Great thoughts seem to last and bad thoughts flitter-on by.’ ... That initial prescription to “Take 1 Oxycontin with water Three Times Per Day’ became a 50-pill A DAY opiate addiction in a matter of 18 months. 

 

Fast forward some 4 years and Rex had gone from Oxycontin and Vicodin to Suboxone. His addiction just went from one thing to another. Rex remained on Suboxone for some 9-years. Becoming more numb with each passing day Rex eventually had a run-in with the law and ended up at The Brook Hospitals in Louisville, KY. He had hit rock bottom. This was his third attempt at Rehab over 14-years. 

The Brook is where Rex finally was able to get clean. He has now been clean for just more than 3-years (September 29) and is excited to help find solutions to the opiate epidemic we have in the state of KY and across the US. 

 

The Rex Chapman Foundation is 501C3 Non-profit organization that will focus on raising funds and awareness for other non-profit groups that are fighting this drug epidemic. We currently have groups at the ground level that are assisting drug addicts with housing and treatment. These organizations are doing things for these struggling addicts that most of us know nothing about. The goal of the Foundation is to help raise more awareness and support these organizations.