Former NBA player Steve Francis had himself a nice career once he got into the league. He played 10 years, won Rookie of the Year in the 1999-2000 season and became a three-time All-Star.

But before he was an NBA player, he was just a normal kid who struggled mightily in life. As a young boy, he had a father in jail and lived in a neighborhood that had a crack “epidemic,” as he described it. Francis' mother died before he went to college, also having a big impact on his life.

In a first-person story on The Players Tribune, Francis admitted to selling crack as a kid, but denied ever using. He did, however, admit that he abused alcohol during his playing days.

I had some dark days, no question. And I know people were asking, “What the hell happened to Steve Francis?” But the hardest part was reading some bullshit on the Internet saying that I was on crack. When I thought about my grandmother reading that, or my kids reading that … that broke my heart. Listen, I sold crack when I was growing up. I’ll own up to that. But never in my life did I ever do crack.

What happened to Steve Francis? I was drinking heavily, is what happened. And that can be just as bad. In the span of a few years I lost basketball, I lost my whole identity, and I lost my stepfather, who committed suicide.

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Spencer See ·

Many fans forget that these players often come from bad neighborhoods or situations in which they are incredibly poor. That is why sports is their only way to get out of those situations and create better lives for themselves and their families.

Francis' story is likely not the only one of this kind, but his bravery in speaking out should hopefully let people into his world and encourage other current or even former players to share their stories as well.