Basketball players whose lives were ruined by alcohol and drugs.

None of us is without stain and it`s equally applicable to famous people. Their sinfulness tends to get worse and worse as they get more and more successful at their craft. When we talk about basketball players and other athletes we tend to look at them as at the people who are highly-disciplined in all possible ways. Some of them have truly broken the anti-records of depravity and indecency caused by substance abuse. Basketball players whose lives were ruined by alcohol and drugs bellow.

Keon Clark

Keon Clark succeeded only in one thing during his brief career in the NBA. He made a big step in burying the myth of alcohol harmfulness. Clark himself admitted that he`s been drunk during most of his professional games. He`s changed teams four times during his 6-years career. It`s not a surprise to say that Clark never made a sustainable contribution to basketball and retired in 2004. Alcohol addiction didn`t let go of him and in 2013 he was charged with possession of a weapon and a DUI and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Eddie Griffin

This talented guy might have become one more legend in basketball. He had everything going for him, but in time alcohol has entered his life. Eddie`s drinking got worse year by year; more than that, Griffin had a few scandals before he was released by his last team the Timberwolves in 2007. The final note came three months later. Eddie died in a car crash after he had ignored the railroad warning and was hit by a moving train. A former promising player was burnt alive inside his SUV. The police had to use his dental records in order to identify him. An autopsy showed that Griffin was deadly drunk on the day of the accident.

Len Bias

One of the saddest drugs abuse incidents happened to promising University of Maryland player Len Bias. He was selected by the Boston Celtics in 1986 but never got a chance to play in the NBA. Both Len`s career and life were destroyed by a cocaine overdose which led to his heart-stopping and sudden death in the circle of teammates who surely didn`t anticipate such an outcome. Many people that knew Len kept saying that he would be the next Michael Jordan or even better. We`ll never find out.

Chris Herren

This former basketball player not only escaped the drug habit but became a successful motivational speaker. Chris used to play for the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics. He started with painkillers and ended up using heroin. In 2008 Herren overdosed. His heart wasn`t beating for thirty seconds but luckily paramedics managed to save him. Shortly after recovery, Chris was off to a fresh start. Now he`s a successful motivational speaker and the founder of the wellness organization helping with recovery from the drugs and alcohol abuse.

Conclusion

Drug and alcohol abuse is called a slippery slope for a reason. It`s easy to step into it but it`s almost impossible to come off it. Very few sportsmen managed to recover after having one of these addictions. They completely ruined lives, especially of those who meant to be an example of discipline and improbable willpower.

Really, sports and alcohol or drugs are incompatible. We told sad stories without a happy end. Do you know a story, when an athlete overcame his pernicious addiction? Tell us about it.

Also, you can read about Slumdog Millionaires: NBA Players Whose Lives Have Changed Thanks to Basketball.