If you’re of a certain age, you may not have known that Rex Chapman was once one of the top basketball players in the country.
But even if you didn’t know he played a dozen seasons in the NBA, you’re likely familiar with Chapman’s online presence. Chapman, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, is now one of the most active former athletes on social media. Not only does Chapman have more than 1.1 million followers on Twitter, but he also created a viral meme.
Especially during the height of the pandemic, his engaging digital personality and curated timeline — which is often light-hearted or inspiring — had earned press from the likes of ESPN and TIME.
Chapman persevered through his own share of adversity before he had the platform that he has now. One of the ways that he is using his platform is with the “Charges with Rex Chapman” podcast.
In each episode, Chapman sits down with a different high-profile sports star to talk about the controversies they faced when they played. He gives each of his guests a chance to tell their side of the story. The first season of the show covers everything from brawls to betting to bribery to athletes’ struggles with addiction, mental health, and racism.
The former NBA player has a unique ability to get these athletes to open up about their darkest moments. He caught up with For The Win, where he was able to walk us through his experience with the podcast and explain why it is such an important project for him.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.