Unfortunate circumstances prevented him from playing college ball after a superstar career at Concord high school. But after a year away from basketball, he was still a first round pick at a time when it was unheard of for a player to go to NBA with no college experience. Shawn Kemp joined the Seattle Supersonics during a period of transition, there trio of Tom Chambers, Dale Ellis and Xavier McDaniel was soon to be finished and he was brought in as a hyper-athletic big man with tremendous upside. His next 8 years with the Sonics would be some of the most exciting basketball anyone had ever seen as he formed one of the league’s bet duos. His style of play was rarely seen in a player his size and he utilized every bit of his athleticism to create mismatches night in and night out. At his best, he was a perennial all star who at times was in the NBA MVP conversation, helping lead the Sonics to the 1996 NBA Finals versus Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Sonics fell short and soon after that Kemp wanted out of Seattle due to contract disputes, but around this same time, his addiction struggles came to light and once he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they became more and more of an issue. His weight got out of control and his trademark athleticism slowly disappeared, but even with his struggles he was still a top player in the NBA during his time in Cleveland. His last few years were spent with the Portland Trailblazers and Orlando Magic as role player before his career was over at 33 years old. But when Shawn Kemp was at his best, he was one of a kind with incredible body control and finishing ability, great dribbling and an underrated midrange shot. But where he gets the least is as a defender, as although he struggled with foul trouble throughout his career, he was constantly rated as a top defender in the league, and it’s surprising he never made an All-defense team. His entire prime was during the golden age of power forwards, so he was aways overshadowed by the players at his position who were just a step above him, but during the 1990s, Shawn Kemp was one of the faces of NBA basketball.
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10 ноя 2023
