Rex Chapman

Rex Everett Chapman (born October 5, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and social media influencer.

Chapman was a high school star in Kentucky, winning many awards for his play.

In two seasons at the University of Kentucky, he won further awards and scored more than 1,000 points.

Chapman was the first draft pick of the expansion Charlotte Hornets and played on four National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.

Over his 12-year career, he averaged 14.6 points per game and appeared in two slam dunk competitions.

Injuries sustained on NBA courts led Chapman To an addiction to opioids.

Following an arrest for shoplifting, he entered drug rehab for the third time and was able to overcome his addiction.

After retiring, Chapman held several jobs with NBA teams, culminating in being the vice president of player personnel with the Denver Nuggets.

He is a broadcaster for University of Kentucky basketball games.

Rex Chapman was born October 5, 1967, in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Rex's father is Wayne Chapman, who played in the American Basketball Association and coached Kentucky Wesleyan College to two NCAA Division II national championships.

Chapman had a turbulent relationship with his father; he and his sister, Jenny, "used to pray that Wayne's teams would win" so the mood of the house would not be tense, while his mother, Laura, would attempt to defuse the tension.

Chapman was a high school basketball star at Apollo High School in Owensboro, Kentucky.

During his junior year, Chapman led his team to the state quarterfinals.

He racked up numerous awards and accolades his senior year, including Mr. Basketball of Kentucky, Gatorade State Player of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year, and McDonalds's All-American.

His freshman year, he averaged 16 points a game, was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year, set a record for points by a freshman, and led the Wildcats to the 1987 NCAA tournament.

Chapman improved his sophomore year average to 19 points a game.

Chapman, joined by teammates such as future NBA journeyman Winston Bennett, helped lead Kentucky to the SEC title with a 27–6 record.

The Wildcats were ranked as the sixth college basketball team in the nation by the AP and UPI and secured the No. 2 seed in the South region of the 1988 NCAA tournament.

Kentucky reached the Sweet Sixteen, where Chapman scored a career best 30 points in a losing effort against Villanova.

Chapman was named to the All-SEC Team both of his college years and amassed a total of 1,073 points before opting to enter the NBA draft.

Chapman left the university as a "campus legend" with the nickname "King Rex".

Chapman found the off-court scrutiny and attention difficult.

He said he was harassed by other students and the coaching staff for continuing to date his black high school girlfriend.

"It wore on me," said Chapman, who is white.

"It was hateful."

The Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), an expansion team, selected Chapman with the eighth overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft; he became the first player ever drafted by the Hornets.

Chapman averaged 16.9 points per game in his rookie season.

Chapman competed in the 1990 and 1991 Slam Dunk Contests, earning recognition for his dunks, where he would flip the ball.

After two-and-a-half seasons with the Hornets, Chapman was traded midway through the 1991–1992 season to the Washington Bullets.

He was injured, however, and could only participate in the final game of the season.

On February 19, 1992, the Hornets traded Chapman To the Washington Bullets in exchange for Tom Hammonds.

He played 60 games during the 1993–94 season and 45 games during the 1994–95 season.

After getting off to a strong start in the 1994–95 season, Chapman injured his ankle.

The Bullets traded Chapman, with Terrence Rencher, to the Miami Heat for Ed Stokes and Jeff Webster in June 1995.

Chapman averaged 14.8 points per game during the 1995–96 season.

He was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Chapman was heavily recruited by many universities, but he chose to stay close to home when he signed with the University of Kentucky.

Chapman was a star with the Kentucky Wildcats.

In 2020, radio host Matt Jones described Chapman as, "the biggest high school basketball player that ever came from the state."