Top NBA draft prospect Darryn Peterson thought he was going to die on a training table. He was begging trainers to call 911. His entire body was cramping so severely that medical staff couldn't find a vein for an IV.

Now we know why: high doses of creatine supplements.

Peterson, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in this year's NBA draft by ESPN, spent much of his freshman season at Kansas battling mysterious and debilitating cramping. Post-season bloodwork and testing finally revealed the culprit.

Here's what happened. After Bill Self's annual weeklong boot camp in September, Peterson had the scariest episode. It started in his legs, then spread - stomach, back, arms, hands. Eventually his whole body was seizing up.

"I made it to the training room and just started begging them to call 911," Peterson told ESPN. "They were trying to get a vein to get me the IV, get me back hydrated. But I was cramping so hard they couldn't get a vein. I thought I was going to die on the training table that day."

Let that sink in. This is a 19-year-old kid with NBA scouts drooling over his talent, and he's lying there thinking he might not make it out alive.

The cramping issues plagued him all season. He missed 11 games. He frequently had to leave games mid-action. Coaches and trainers were baffled. Everyone was searching for answers.

Turns out, Peterson had never taken creatine before college. When he started supplementing, he was taking high doses - and his body already had naturally elevated baseline levels. When you combine high natural levels with aggressive supplementation, you create an unsafe situation.

"I'd never taken it before [going to college]," Peterson explained. "But after the season I took two weeks off and they did tests which showed my baseline level was already high. So, they said when I dosed, it must've made the levels unsafe."

This is a cautionary tale for every young athlete loading up on supplements. Peterson thought he was doing the right thing - trying to get bigger, stronger, better. Instead, he nearly derailed his entire career.

The good news? Since stopping creatine supplementation, Peterson has had no cramping issues while training for the draft in Los Angeles. He's feeling like himself again.

But this story needs to be told as a warning. Supplements aren't magic. More isn't always better. And without proper medical guidance, you can seriously hurt yourself - even with something as common as creatine.

Here's a kid who had NBA teams salivating, and he spent his freshman season in agony because he was trying to optimize his body. The irony is brutal.

Supplements have their place in sports. But this is a reminder that young athletes need supervision, education, and proper dosing. Otherwise, you end up like Darryn Peterson - begging someone to call 911 while your entire body cramps uncontrollably.

That's what sports is all about, folks - except when it goes terribly wrong.