In April 2018, former University of Kentucky basketball star and NBA veteran Rex Chapman returned to the Tri-State area for a powerful community event in Evansville, Indiana. Hosted by the non-profit organization 7 Sisters, Chapman spoke at the University of Southern Indiana to share the raw details of his decade-long battle with opioid addiction.

The Mission of 7 Sisters

The event was a cornerstone of the mission of 7 Sisters, a group formed in August 2017 by seven local women who each lost a sibling to an opioid-related overdose. The organization aims to eliminate the stigma of addiction, provide education, and advocate for recovery options. Funding for Chapman’s appearance was partially raised through an inaugural 5K run held the previous November.

"I Probably Shouldn't Be Here": A Story of Survival

Speaking to an audience of approximately 300 people at USI’s Sports Management Club room, Chapman detailed how a celebrated athletic career spiraled into a life-threatening dependency.

• The Catalyst: After a 12-year NBA career and 10 surgeries, Chapman was prescribed OxyContin following an emergency appendectomy. He told the audience he "fell in love" with the drug within 48 hours, as it temporarily masked his lifelong struggles with depression and social anxiety.
• The Depth of Addiction: At the height of his 14-year struggle, Chapman admitted to consuming roughly 40 Vicodin and 10 OxyContin pills daily. He shocked the crowd by revealing he would chew the pills to make them enter his system faster, stating, "I probably shouldn't be here".
• The Turning Point: Chapman cited a 2014 arrest and the encouragement of former teammate Danny Ainge as pivotal moments that led him to seek treatment at a rehab facility in Arizona.

Community Impact

The event, which was free and open to the public, included a Q&A session where Chapman encouraged attendees to be honest with themselves and their loved ones about substance abuse. Chapman’s appearance served as a call to action for better funding and focus on the opioid crisis, emphasizing that addiction is an "equal opportunity obstacle" that does not discriminate based on race, wealth, or education.

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