Rex Chapman: The Forgotten Career of the Man who OUTPLAYED A PRIME MICHAEL JORDAN | FPP

He was known as “King Rex” among fans of Kentucky basketball when he was only a teenager. Rex Chapman was one of the greatest prospects to ever come out of Kentucky; first starring at Apollo High School before spending two great season as a Kentucky Wildcat. He left school early at a time when it was almost unheard of for underclassmen to make the jump to the NBA. He would be a lottery pick by the expansion Charlotte Hornets and immediately had a lot of weight on his shoulders. He had games where he looked great and games where he looked lost, but overall was a solid player for the Hornets, but injuries began early in his career and would follow him everywhere he went. After the Hornets looked to move in another direction with Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill, Chapman was shipped to the Washington Bullets where he spent a few more injury riddled years alongside guys like Tom Gugliotta and Michael Adams. He spend a year in Miami, and while there would lead the Heat to a victory over the 72-10 Chicago Bulls on a night where he outplayed Michael Jordan. Then the remainder of his career was spent as a respectable starter on the Phoenix Suns with Kevin Johnson and then Jason Kidd. His body was breaking down, but he was playing through and after being introduced to painkillers, he was able get all the basketball he could out of his body, but the cost of this was a severe addiction that engulfed his life for over a decade after his retirement, he has re-invented himself now, but his NBA career gets little to no attention even though he could put up numbers even with all the injuries. He had a great shooting stroke for that era, and was a true athlete with a nearly 40 inch vertical. His shot selection and efficiency was his Achilles heel, but when you had confidence like Rex Chapman that’s the price you have to pay.

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