Rex Chapman: Hired Gun, 1996

[Rex Chapman logged a solid 12-year NBA career that spiraled off by the end into what would become self-destructive battles with addiction. It’s all detailed in Chapman’s excellent book titled It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me: A Memoir, published in 2024 and well-written by the prolific Seth Davis. (He’s now teamed with Larry Brown on his memoir, due out in March 2027). The following clip, pulled from the December 1996 issue of the Phoenix Suns magazine called Fastbreak, doesn’t delve into any of the above. Buy his memoir for more on that. Read this clip, which seems to be pre-addiction, for more about Chapman and the bigger-picture 1990s-era NBA life. Chapman, in his ninth season, has become a hired gun: a valuable long-range shooter and piece in building a competitive NBA squad. Gone are the earlier whispers of super-stardom have faded. Chapman, like most 1990s players, went where the money was greenest, his role was best, and his minutes likely would be plentiful. Here’s Chapman’s…