Rex Chapman, former NBA star and Twitter power-user, is launching a weekly podcast in which he talks with pro athletes about their run-ins with the law — a subject he’s personally familiar with.
The podcast, “Charges With Rex Chapman,” is produced by Steve Nash’s CTRL Media, Portal A, DBPodcasts and iHeartMedia. In each episode, Chapman sits down with a different sports star to talk about their past legal scrapes, and he gives them the chance to tell their side of the story. The conversations ultimately culminate in “a story of redemption and reinvention,” per the show’s producers.
Guests on the podcast will include Metta World Peace, Lamar Odom, Ryan Leaf, Michael Vick and other sports personalities. The podcast will be distributed by iHeartMedia, available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms.
“Weirdly, almost to a person, when I explain the [‘Charges’] podcast… they say, ‘That’s fucking cool,'” said Chapman.
In the show’s first episode, premiering May 4, Chapman puts himself on the hot seat and is interviewed by actor and longtime friend Michael Rapaport. “If you’re going to speak about tough things, you ought to be able to show you’re vulnerable enough to talk about your own experience,” Chapman said. “You’re not coming to talk about fun shit. You’re coming to talk about possibly your worst moment.”
Chapman, following 12 seasons in the NBA from 1988-2000, spiraled into opioid and gambling addictions. That ultimately led to his arrest in 2014 in Scottsdale, Ariz., for shoplifting thousands of dollars worth of products from an Apple Store. The cover art for “Charges With Rex Chapman” (pictured above) features the mugshot from his arrest.
“Obviously it’s a terrible, painful reminder,” Chapman said of the mugshot, “but it’s a necessary one.”
Since then, Chapman has used Twitter, where he has more than 1.1 million followers, and other platforms to share his perspective on what pro sports can push someone to become — and how they can overcome past mistakes.
Last month, he debuted his first podcast, basketball talk show “The Rex Chapman Show” with his friend and actor Josh Hopkins, produced by BasketballNews. In addition, he works as a studio analyst for NBA TV.
Chapman’s friend Steve Nash — a two-time NBA MVP and current coach of the Brooklyn Nets — first contacted him with the concept for the podcast. “If I’ve learned anything from my post-NBA career, it’s that you’re not as bad as your worst moment,” Chapman said. “That’s why I wanted to do this show: to talk to athletes about their low points and how they came back from them. My hope is that there’ll be lessons in there for all of us.”
Nash has known Chapman for going on 20 years and has been with him through highs and lows. “This show is a major moment for him and a chance to take everything he’s learned and turn it into something that will have an impact on people,” Nash said in a statement.
Episodes of “Charges With Rex Chapman” will be released weekly each Tuesday over the next 20 weeks, with a second season slated for later this year. The show is executive produced by Nash, Brandon Kraines, Ezra Holland, Nate Houghteling and Todd Barrish.
Listen to the trailer for “Charges With Rex Chapman” on iHeartRadio (at this link) or below:
