Former NBA player Chris Herren will share his story of addiction and recovery at a town-hall meeting at 7 p.m. on May 15 at Marian Catholic High School in Hometown.

Herren grew up in Massachusetts, where he played basketball for Durfee High School, claiming the school record for most points, 2,073, ever scored by an individual player. That record still holds more than 20 years later. He went on to Boston College in 1994, hyped by national magazines including Sports Illustrated. In his first game, he lived up to that hype, scoring 14 points in his first 21 minutes of play. His dream of playing professional basketball for the Boston Celtics looked to be on the fast track. A broken wrist dashed that dream, as did two failed drug tests that were positive for marijuana and cocaine.After being kicked out of Boston College, he transferred to Fresno State, where another failed drug test sent him to rehab for 28 days. He finished his college career averaging 15.1 points and 5.1 assists per game.Herren entered the NBA draft in 1999 and was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round, 33rd pick overall.His Celtics dream was realized in 2000, but that dream ended at the end of the season when he was released by the team. It didn't help that he had become addicted to pain killers, such as Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin. He went on to play professional basketball overseas.By 2008, he had amassed seven felony drug convictions.His downward spiral came to an end in August 2008, when he crashed his vehicle into a utility pole while under the influence of crystal meth. Deemed clinically dead for 30 seconds served as a wake-up call.He underwent extensive rehabilitation programs and has been drug free since that time.The next year, he launched the nonprofit "Hoop Dreams With Chris Herren," mentoring players on and off the court. He also became a motivational speaker, sharing his experiences in an effort to fight drug abuse. In addition to the public evening session, Herren will speak to the Marian students at an afternoon assembly.His appearance is being sponsored by the Jim Thorpe Pharmacy and the Marian Students Against Destructive Decisions through Project Purple.The public is welcome to attend the free event. Doors will open at 6 p.m.