Joyce Walker's Descent into Addiction

Joyce Walker is perhaps the best basketball player in state history. She led Garfield to a state title, was a two-time All-American at LSU, made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, and was the second female Harlem Globetrotter.

Walker came back to Garfield as a coach in 2000, leading them to another state title in 2005.

Last year, Walker took a leave of absence to, she said, undergo treatment for lung cancer. You didn't hear much about how that was going. As it turns out Walker didn't have lung cancer. Instead, as she tells the Times' Sandy Ringer, she'd become addicted to crack.

Walker sometimes spent $200 to $500 a day on her habit. Bills piled up. She sold her house in August. The cash helped feed her addiction.

"That has a hazy time," Walker said.

She took a road trip to Las Vegas in early November after blowing $24,000 on a new Chevy HHR. Walker totaled it in Eastern Oregon and later found out her insurance had lapsed.

After six months of binging, Walker entered treatment in January. She tells her story in hopes that it will help her recovery. "I'm not ashamed to let people see me go through difficult times," she says. "Shame is good for me. I messed up and did things wrong."

Walker's back attending Garfield games (her nephews Tony Wroten and DeAndre Taylor play for the boys team). Garfield's like a home to her, when I was there in the mid early-90s she would stop by occasionally and school the boys team in one-on-one, horse, three-point shooting, whatever she wanted. There was always sort of a buzz when she'd drop by..."did you hear? Joyce Walker's here today." Here's hoping the school can be a community for her as she fights to recover.