Shawn Kemp
Encyclopedia
Shawn T. Kemp is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player, who played in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 for 14 seasons. He was a six-time NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star
NBA All-Star may refer to:*NBA All-Star Weekend*NBA All-Star Game*List of NBA All-Stars, players who have been selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game...

 and a three-time All-NBA Second Team
All-NBA Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the...

 member.

Early years

Kemp attended Concord High School
Concord High School (Indiana)
Concord High School is a public high school in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States with a size of approximately 1,500 students. The school was host to President Barack Obama's first order of business meeting outside of Washington D.C., as well as the site of one of his campaign rallies before...

 in Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart, Indiana
Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, northwest of Fort Wayne, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis...

. He was considered to be one of the top four or five players nationally his senior year, and led his team to the state championship finals. Kemp finished third for the state's coveted Mr. Basketball award (behind Woody Austin and Chandler Thompson). Some felt that Kemp was snubbed because he chose to play college ball outside the Hoosier State. Kemp scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic
Roundball Classic
The Roundball Classic, originally known as The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic is well known in the sports world as the first national high school All Star basketball game...

, and scored 18 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the McDonald's Game. During his senior year, Kemp signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...

. However, he left the team in November 1988 after he was accused of pawning two gold chains that had been reported stolen from his teammate Sean Sutton
Sean Sutton
Sean Sutton was the head coach of the Oklahoma State University men's basketball program from 2006 until April 1, 2008. He is currently an assistant at Oral Roberts University.-Playing career:...

, the son of then Kentucky head coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...

. Sean Sutton did not press charges, but Kemp transferred to Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College is a community college in the state of Texas.TVCC operates four campuses serving the Texas counties of Anderson, Henderson, and Kaufman, southeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:...

 in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. After a semester at TVCC, where he did not play, 19-year-old Shawn Kemp declared himself eligible for the 1989 NBA Draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...

.

Seattle SuperSonics

The Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...

 drafted Kemp in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...

. Kemp struggled to adjust to his new life as an NBA player. Although extremely athletic, Kemp was young and struggled to find his place in the NBA. At the time, he was the youngest player in the NBA. In his first season in Seattle, Kemp was mentored heavily by teammate Xavier McDaniel. As the season progressed, Kemps's desire to learn and become better propelled him into stardom. Kemp finally began to find his place in the NBA as a star during his second season with the Sonics. Together with Gary Payton
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton is a former American professional basketball point guard. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals...

, Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf
Detlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...

, Sam Perkins
Sam Perkins
Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...

 and Nate McMillan
Nate McMillan
Nathaniel "Nate" McMillan is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers...

, they became a highly successful squad.
After Kemp's second NBA season, he picked up the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

 "Reign Man" after Sonics announcer Kevin Calabro
Kevin Calabro
Kevin Calabro is an American play-by-play announcer and talk show host for 710 ESPN Seattle. The Kevin Calabro Show airs from 3-6p PT and features cohost and Seattle P-I columnist Jim Moore, as well as ESPN Senior NFL Writer and Analyst John Clayton...

 saw a poster with the name and found it fitting to add to his radio broadcasts.

He played for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...

 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, winning the gold medal. He also appeared in MTV's Rock N' Jock annual celebrity basketball game, where he dunked upon a young Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...

.

Kemp's career peaked in 1995–96
1995-96 NBA season
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season of the National Basketball Association , although the league didn't celebrate this anniversary until the following season...

, when he and Payton led the Sonics to a franchise-record 64 wins and their first NBA Finals
1996 NBA Finals
The 1996 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1995-96 NBA season of the National Basketball Association. The Seattle SuperSonics of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference, with the Bulls holding home court advantage...

 appearance since 1979. They faced Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

 and the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

, who were coming off an NBA record 72 wins. The Sonics managed to push the heavily favored Bulls to six games before losing. In the finals, Kemp posted per game averages of 23.3 points on 55% shooting from the field, 10.0 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Kemp, having signed a long-term contract before the rapid increase in NBA salaries, was earning substantially less than most players of his repute. He was outraged when Sonics management denied Kemp's request for a raise, while offering Jim McIlvaine
Jim McIlvaine
James Michael McIlvaine is a retired American professional basketball player who spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Washington Bullets, Seattle SuperSonics and New Jersey Nets...

, a five-year, $35 million contract. Kemp threatened to refuse to play in the upcoming season, and the resulting tension with management eventually led to a blockbuster three-team trade following the 1996–1997 season that sent Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks forward Vin Baker to the Sonics, and Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill from the Cavaliers to the Bucks.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Kemp played three seasons with the Cavaliers, where he battled weight problems and often appeared to lack the drive that made him such a force in Seattle. Despite this, he posted career-high numbers for points per game.

During the lockout shortened 1998–1999 NBA season, Kemp reportedly showed up to training camp weighing 275 pounds. Though unable to shed the weight, Kemp still managed to average 20.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. But again, he was not in the same explosive form that he was known for.

Portland Trail Blazers

He was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...

 after the 1999–2000 season
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...

. The trade reunited Kemp with Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt is a former sports executive in both the National Basketball Association and the National Football League. He has served as the general manager for three teams: the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL...

, who had originally brought Kemp to Seattle. However, Kemp's play began to decline significantly. The last few years of Kemp's professional basketball career were riddled with problems stemming from his weight, as well as cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...

 and alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...

. His first season in Portland ended early when he entered drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...

.

After two seasons with the Blazers, Kemp was waived prior to the 2002–03 season .

Orlando Magic

He was signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 for the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...

, and helped the Magic reach the playoffs despite the loss of starting small forward Grant Hill. During his one season in Orlando, Kemp played in his 1000th NBA game. In their first round series, the Magic took an early three games to one lead before losing to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

 in seven games. Following the 2002–03 season, Shawn Kemp was replaced by free agent forward Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...

.

NBA comeback attempts

In April of the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...

, Kemp's NBA comeback chances looked promising. The eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...

 considered adding Kemp to their roster in time for the NBA playoffs. Mavs' coach, and former Sonic teammate, Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...

 scheduled a personal workout to take place in Houston, where Kemp trained for several months. However, Kemp failed to appear because of undisclosed reasons. The two parties tried to re-schedule a workout but the NBA refused to grant Dallas an injury exception (for a 16th player). Ultimately Kemp did not get a second chance to join the Mavs that season.

In June 2006, 3 months after a drug arrest, the Denver Post reported that Kemp had slimmed down to the playing weight of his all-star days and was determined to join an NBA team, possibly the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...

, and finish his career "the right way." The Nuggets ultimately turned their attention away from Kemp, signing power forward Reggie Evans
Reggie Evans
Reginald Jamaal "Reggie" Evans is an American professional basketball player. The power forward most recently played for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA...

. Kemp drew some interest from the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

 in September 2006, but missed his scheduled workout to visit an ailing relative instead.

During halftime of a November 5, 2006 Sonics game, Kemp was announced as one of the 16 members of the Seattle SuperSonics' 40-year anniversary team. After having the longest ovation of all the players, Kemp said after the celebration that he would play with a team in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 and was still considering a comeback to the NBA. Kemp, however, did not secure a position on an NBA roster during the 2006–07 season.

Italy

On August 18, 2008, Kemp signed a one-year contract with Premiata Montegranaro of Italian League
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...

. Despite being almost 39, he was said to be in good shape. The Premiata deal came about by the good relationship between Kemp and Roberto Carmenati, the new Team Director of Montegranaro. Kemp reported to the team, played in three preseason games and then returned to Houston to assess his home for damage from Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...

. Kemp and Premiata Montegranaro decided to part ways, and the contract was rescinded.

Personal life

As of 1998, Kemp had fathered at least 7 children. This number is alleged to be even higher, resulting in Kemp being an easy target for commentators' jokes.

His oldest son, Shawn Kemp Jr., committed to play basketball for Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...

 on November 11, 2009. Shawn Jr, a graduate of Cherokee High School in Canton, Georgia
Canton, Georgia
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at ....

 is a 6'9" 220 pound center. He was named as an alternate in the 2009 McDonald's High School All-American Classic. Shawn Jr was heavily recruited by Florida, Alabama, Indiana, and Arkansas. Kemp Jr., did not qualify academically and did not play for Auburn during the 2010-11 season. In 2011, Kemp Jr. signed with the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

.

Shawn Kemp Sr. appeared on the 2009 season premiere of Pros vs. Joes.

Legal problems

On April 4, 2005 Shawn Kemp was arrested in Shoreline, Washington
Shoreline, Washington
Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington....

 for an investigation of drug possession. Kemp along with another man were found with cocaine, about 60 grams of marijuana and a semiautomatic pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

, according to the King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....

 Sheriff's Office. On April 29 Kemp was formally charged with drug possession and pleaded guilty. Kemp was again arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

 on July 21, 2006.

NBA statistics

SEASON TEAM GP GS MPG FG% FT% BPG RPG APG PPG
'89–90 Seattle 81 1 13.8 .479 .736 0.9 4.3 0.3 6.5
'90–91 Seattle 81 66 30.1 .508 .661 1.5 8.4 1.8 15.0
'91–92 Seattle 64 23 28.3 .504 .748 1.9 10.4 1.3 15.5
'92–93 Seattle 78 68 33.1 .492 .712 1.9 10.7 2.0 17.8
'93–94 Seattle 79 73 32.9 .538 .741 2.1 10.8 2.6 18.1
'94–95 Seattle 82 79 32.7 .547 .749 1.5 10.9 1.8 18.7
'95–96 Seattle 79 76 33.3 .561 .742 1.6 11.4 2.2 19.6
'96–97 Seattle 81 75 34.0 .510 .742 1.0 10.0 1.9 18.7
'97–98 Cleveland 80 80 34.6 .445 .727 1.1 9.3 2.5 18.0
'98–99 Cleveland 42 42 35.1 .482 .789 1.1 9.2 2.4 20.5
'99–00 Cleveland 82 82 30.4 .417 .776 1.2 8.8 1.7 17.8
'00–01 Portland 68 3 15.9 .407 .771 0.3 3.8 1.0 6.5
'01–02 Portland 75 5 16.4 .430 .794 0.4 3.8 0.7 6.1
'02–03 Orlando 79 55 20.7 .418 .742 0.4 5.7 0.7 6.8
Career Totals 1051 727 27.9 .488 .741 1.2 8.4 1.6 14.6

See also


External links

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