Rex Chapman elated and serious about return to Kentucky basketball

Rex Chapman has done a lot of different things since he left the University of Kentucky in 1988. Some were good; some not so good. Thick and thin, he says. One thing he has not done since leaving, however, is be a part of his alma mater’s storied basketball program.

“That’s why I’m so thrilled for this opportunity,” the former UK star (1986-88) said Wednesday inside the offices of JMI, the school’s broadcast rights holder. “I’m as appreciative as I can be.”

That’s because starting this season Chapman will be part of the UK Radio Network as co-host, along with WKYT’s Dave Baker, of the basketball pregame show. The 49-year-old Owensboro native will be on site for UK’s bigger games, but he will do most of shows remotely from his home in Los Angeles.

“I think I’m better prepared to be more serious about it this time around,” he said.

After all, Chapman is no stranger to the broadcast business. Following his 13-year NBA career, between front office jobs, he did pro basketball commentary for TNT and was a member of the CBS and Turner studio crews for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Then in 2014, the bottom dropped out. First, Chapman created a firestorm the night of the NCAA title game between Kentucky and Connecticut by tweeting that UK coach John Calipari was to be named head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Five months later, Chapman was arrested on charges of shoplifting $14,000 in merchandise from an Apple store in Arizona. He subsequently entered a rehab facility for a prescription pain pill addiction he says he battled for 17 years.

Wednesday, Chapman looked tan and fit. He was upbeat about the future and grateful for friends who were “brutally honest” enough to help him through his difficulties.

“Even though I was 32 or 33 when I retired, I needed to grow up,” Chapman said. “When you’ve got all the resources you want, nobody can tell you anything. That’s not everybody, but that’s a lot of spoiled-rotten athletes.”

Chapman considered himself one. He compared his experience to that of a child actor, someone who had received public attention since he was 15 years old, hailed as “King Rex,” the boy wonder of Kentucky basketball. He’s not using that as an excuse, he said, nor would he trade that experience.

“But when I quit playing, I felt lost,” he said. “And I kind of numbed myself to it.”

He regrets that infamous Calipari-to-the-Lakers tweet.

“It was embarrassing,” he said Wednesday, though he contends he believed the information. “Still, I was an idiot with the timing of it.”

He is thankful that the next time he saw Calipari and apologized, the UK coach said, “What are you talking about it?” And that was that.

In fact, Chapman said he is grateful that Calipari and UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart approved his hire after JMI’s Paul Archey, president of UK’s Sports and Campus Marketing, called two weeks ago with the idea of his joining the broadcast team.

“I’m just really excited to be talking about these young guys,” said Chapman, who has attended several recent UK practices. “This team is wildly athletic. It has the potential to be one of the best defensive teams Cal has had. Those three guards (De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Isaiah Briscoe), I see all three as starters in the NBA.”

He joked he doesn’t know much about anything, but he does know a little about basketball. This is no joke: Chapman has never been afraid to say what he thought.

“That won’t change,” he said. “I’m going to be as honest as I can with my opinions. I’m not going to sugarcoat things.”

After all, he’s seen and experienced plenty from both sides.

“After going through what I went through, to be asked to be a part of this was totally unexpected,” Chapman said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2016 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Rex Chapman elated and serious about return to Kentucky basketball."