Drug Addiction
Drew's career came to an end because of his addiction to cocaine. In the first of what would be many drug-related career setbacks, Drew missed 38 games during the 1983 season while attending drug rehab. While he would win the league's Comeback Player of the Year award in 1984 for seemingly having overcome his addiction, Drew relapsed into drug abuse in 1985, and was banned from the NBA in 1986 for multiple violations of the league's substance abuse policy, including various arrests for drug possession. He was the first player ever to be banned for life under the NBA's drug policy.
As of 2002, Drew was living in Houston, Texas, where Charles Barkley had last reported seeing him, and he finally has a grip on his cocaine addiction. He is currently a taxi cab driver in Houston.
Read more about this topic: John Drew (basketball)
Famous quotes containing the words drug and/or addiction:
“Narcotics have been systematically scapegoated and demonized. The idea that anyone can use drugs and escape a horrible fate is an anathema to these idiots. I predict that in the near future, right wingers will use drug hysteria as a pretext to set up an international police apparatus.”
—Gus Van Sant, U.S. screenwriter and director, and Dan Yost. Father Tom Murphy (William S. Burroughs)
“All sin tends to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is what is called damnation.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)