Steve Francis says he drank heavily after NBA career ended

Steve Francis' essay for The Players' Tribune Thursday shed a personal light on his difficult early life and rise to NBA stardom. However, he also took time to address widespread rumors about his post-basketball lifestyle.

"And I know people were asking, 'What the hell happened to Steve Francis?'" he wrote. "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."

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Francis went into detail about selling drugs as a teen in the story. He then said after his NBA career ended in 2008, he began abusing alcohol.

"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. I just let go, man."

Francis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated last year. He entered alcohol rehab after his arrest in 2016. Prior to that, the three-time NBA All-Star had a knack for appearing in viral photographs and videos, such as when he had a chain snatched off his neck at a Houston concert in 2015.

Francis' revealing essay caught the attention of various peers.

Known mostly for his hops, Francis played nine seasons with three teams, most notably the Houston Rockets. In 576 career games, he averaged 18.1 points and six assists.