Tag: Rex Chapman

Eric LeGrand talks his dreams of walking and his daily struggles in interview with Rex Chapman

Eric LeGrand sits down with Rex Chapman in CNN+ interview.

Anyone who has been around [autotag]Eric LeGrand[/autotag] for any length of time knows that he is an inspiration. But what few don’t really understand is that in the tragedy and triumph that is his life story, there are real moments of frustration.

There are also moments of incredible ambition and dreams as well.

This week, former NBA player Rex Chapman posted a video tease of his interview with LeGrand that will air on CNN+. During the interview with Chapman, the question was asked of LeGrand about his dreams – his actual literal dreams while he sleeps.

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The former Rutgers football player, paralyzed in October of 2020 while making a special teams play against Army, said he dreams about being able to walk:

“In my dreams, I’m not in a wheelchair. I’m walking –  and sometimes there are limitations. There’s limitations – sometimes I’m walking and I get to a staircase and I’m like ‘Can I walk up these stairs?’ or ‘Can I catch this football?’ or ‘Can I throw this ball?’ It happened and I’m never in a wheelchair,” LeGrand told Chapman in the CNN+ interview.

Chapman then asked LeGrand about his daily struggles, the little things that are difficult following his spinal cord injury and paralysis.

 

It was a real and humbling answer from LeGrand, a true glimpse into his life.

“The two smallest things I’d say…number one is temperature regulation. My central nervous system is all hacked up with the spinal cord injury. Most of the time, I’m freezing cold. My body temperature has a hard time regulating so being cold – I keep my room at 80 degrees and I have a heater I sit on top of most of the time just be able to regulate. I don’t sweat Summertime – I have to be careful in the sun; my body doesn’t sweat anymore,” LeGrand said.

“Number two is itching. Oh my goodness, when I get an itch on my face- you never realize how much you scratch. Your ears, your nose, your face.”

LeGrand hasn’t let the injury slow down his life – or his ever-present smile. He is a frequent keynote and inspirational speaker. In 2012, he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who at the time were coached by Greg Schiano, his coach at Rutgers.

In addition to his speaking engagements, LeGrand is a media personality who provides commentary on several platforms affiliated with Rutgers football. He has also opened up his own business, LeGrand Coffee.

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A brick-and-mortar location for LeGrand Coffee is coming to New Jersey this year.

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Who are the top former Kentucky players in NBA history?

The University of Kentucky men’s basketball program has long been synonymous with greatness. Who are the top former Wildcats in NBA history?

By many measures, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team is the most successful in NCAA history. The Wildcats have the most wins and highest winning percentage all-time, and Kentucky Blue is a mainstay in the Big Dance. No surprises, there are a lot of former Kentucky Wildcats who have played in the NBA.

Kentucky has also had some of the most impactful coaches in basketball history, either on the sideline in Lexington or men who have eventually coached in the league. John Calipari and Pat Riley headline a list of coaches that includes Dwane Casey and Rick Pitino.

As for the players, the number of Kentucky alumni in the pros is staggering. From some of the Association’s Founding Fathers, to some of the biggest stars in the league today, Kentucky has its fingerprints all over professional basketball. The University of Kentucky men’s basketball program is up there with juggernauts like Duke and UNC.

So, let’s dive in: Who are the top former Kentucky players in NBA history?

Q&A: Rex Chapman on his fascinating ‘Charges’ podcast, covering athletes’ worst moments of their lives

The former NBA player has a unique ability to get these athletes to open up about their darkest moments.

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.

Rex Chapman on Kevin Kisner after COVID Twitter flap and subsequent chat: ‘He’s a great athlete and pro’

It appears some mutual friends and a little Facetime have bridged the gap between Kevin Kisner and former NBA star and activist Rex Chapman.

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If only we all could use social media and technology in such constructive ways.

After a firestorm followed a short Twitter response by PGA Tour pro Kevin Kisner on Saturday, it appears some mutual friends and a little FaceTime have connected Kisner and former NBA star and activist Rex Chapman.

On Saturday morning, Chapman mentioned that COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on him, taking the lives of friends’ parents, putting his own parents in the hospital and infecting one of his children.

In the highly politicized world of social media, this drew, as you might expect, a multitude of responses.

Kisner, an affable University of Georgia alum, chimed in with a since-deleted comment that drew fire, saying:

Guess they can’t follow guidelines.

That opened the floodgates, with numerous responses from those insisting they like Kisner, but found his comment insensitive.

A few hours after pulling the original response down, Kisner responded with an explanation.

The good news is it appears the exchange facilitated a longer conversation on Saturday night, one that had the two meeting via FaceTime.

Chapman, who has a large social media following, had this to say after the interaction.

If there’s a light moment to come from this, it was from noted card Eddie Pepperell, who added the following:

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