ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich — A 35-year-old South Warren man is defying expectations as he pursues his dream of professional basketball, years after heroin addiction derailed his promising high school career.
Watch the full story, reported by Faraz Javed, in the video player below
Chris Wouters trains daily at the Oakland Fieldhouse in Rochester Hills, working toward a spot in the NBA's G League, where most players are about a decade younger than him.
"I'm currently chasing my dream which is becoming a G League basketball player," Wouters said.
While most professional athletes retire around 40, Wouters sees his age differently.
"It allowed me to know that age is just a limitation that you can put on yourself. I'm more so at the best shape of my life because of what basketball chasing my dream has done for me," Wouters said.
Wouters' journey to this point has been anything but smooth. His basketball aspirations were derailed at 17 when he began using heroin.
"By trying to be a follower and not be a leader, I started to make decisions that I was no longer proud of, which then ultimately became not only becoming a heroin addict but I was a needle user quickly," Wouters said.
His addiction took over his life, even affecting his time on the court.
"The biggest thing was not to let anyone find out. It was rock bottom. Not only because it's such a disgusting lifestyle but ultimately I ended up leaving the team. I didn't finish out the year, and heroin became my life," Wouters said.
The turning point came in 2015 when he learned he was going to be a father.
His daughter Aria, now 9, became his motivation to change.
"He's inspired my life by just being super strong," Aria said.
As Wouters worked to get clean, more challenges followed. In December 2015, he suffered a serious knee injury requiring major reconstructive surgery. Two months later, he lost his older brother, Chene Burton, to a drug overdose.
"I think God, the universe wanted to see how bad did I really want this, so he threw everything at me," Wouters said.
Through it all, being a role model for his daughter kept him going.
"He just tries to be a really great dad, so he inspires me to be an awesome person," Aria said.
Today, Wouters not only pursues his basketball dream but also serves as an assistant basketball coach at Macomb Community College. He runs a non-profit called "Make Moves, No Excuses" to inspire young athletes to reject drugs and pursue better lives.
When asked what he's most proud of, Wouters doesn't hesitate.
"Being a father, that's the greatest thing that ever happened to me. And when you let go of yourself in the process, it's not only an underdog story, it's to let other underdogs know that you can do it too," Wouters said.
To learn more about 'Make Moves, No Excuses' head to Chris's journey on Instagram @gleaguedad
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