NBA: Shawn Kemp: Let It Reign

Shawn Kemp is one of the most spectacular players in NBA history, and his coach once called him better than Michael Jordan. However, various escapades prevented the Reign Man from making a major career.

Today Kemp turns 49. You can find all other legend articles in our archive.

There was a golden rule in the ’90s. If the Chicago Bulls were in the finals, Michael Jordan took over. MJ decided games, he decided series, a total of six times. In short, he was the best player of every final appearance of his Bulls, the MVP. Always. Always? “He was the best player on the court. Nobody can claim otherwise,” said George Karl after his Sonics Chicago lost six games.

Only he wasn’t talking about Jordan, Karl was talking about Shawn Kemp. Admittedly, it’s nothing new that one’s own coach praises one of his charges a little too much in the sky. Maybe Karl did, too. But he was certainly not alone in his opinion. Kemp scored 23 points and 10 rebounds during the finals, hitting 55 percent of his litters. The Reign Man dominated. Thanks to his athleticism, thanks to his power, which is unparalleled even today.

But it wasn’t enough to get the title. In 1996, the Bulls were the only team in history to break the magic 70 victory mark that year, and not for nothing. The fact that the overteam had to mobilize everything once again after a seemingly secure 3-0 lead, that the series went over six games at the end and that Seattle Chicago demanded everything from them was largely due to Shawn Kemp, along with Gary Payton’s outstanding defense against Jordan.

But the later over athlete at a young age showed relatively little evidence of a dazzling career in the world’s best basketball league. Not because he grew up in Elkhart – Indiana and basketball belong together after all like John Stockton and provocatively short shorts – no, Kemps legs didn’t keep up with his growth. He had to wear splints on his knees and ankles.

Had it not been for his sister Lisa, Kemp might never have developed that passion for the game that would eventually make him six-time All Star and World Champion. “She made everything possible,” Kemp once said. “She taught me how to play.”

Obviously with success. After all, during his time at Concord Highschool, Kemp mutated into the biggest attraction on the courts in Indiana State. The Reign Man wasn’t born yet, but Kemps incredible athleticism made him stand out from the crowd. So much so that the Concord Minutemen moved to a larger hall during the senior year of their Power Forward to cope with the crowds.

Even Bobby Knight had taken note of it by now. Allegedly, the coaching legend did everything she could to guide Kemp to his Indiana Hoosiers. However, he chose the University of Kentucky and thus the uncomfortable path. Indiana’s greatest talent is not at Indiana University. Actually unthinkable! Quite a few suspect that Kemp, Pistons coach Dwane Casey, then assistant in Kentucky, described him as the “best high school player” he had ever seen, so he was not named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball.

Actually also unthinkable, but by far not Kemps biggest problem. Since he had not achieved the required score in the college entrance test, he was suspended for his first year in Kentucky. “Shawn without a basketball, the only thing he loved to have in college was, I think, a big mistake,” Kemps high school coach Jim Hahn described the problem.

Hahn should be right. Hardly arrived at the Wildcats, Kemp was accused of stealing two gold chains from his teammate Sean and the son of coach Eddie Sutton. The junior was never accused, but his time in Kentucky was over before it had really started.

After only one semester with the Wildcats, without having played a single game, he moved to Trinity Valley Community College. Not exactly the path of one of the country’s greatest talents, right? That’s right. And that’s why Kemp didn’t even stay in Texas for long.

Meanwhile, 1989 is “With the 17th Pick, the Seattle SuperSonics select: Shawn Kemp of Trinity Valley Community College.” It was 14 years ago that Commissioner David Stern called up a name that had never before been read on a college scoreboard. Kemps predecessor: Moses Malone. Certainly not the worst bloodline.

Nevertheless, there were no cheering storms around Seattle. Stern hadn’t even pronounced “Shawn Kemp” yet, there was already a long “Boooo” echoing through the draftroom. New town. New environment. No game for a year. And then not even welcome. No optimal conditions for a rookie, whose game also came across very raw.

In fact, it took a season plus Xavier McDaniel’s wings for Kemp to explode in his second season. From an average of 6.5 points to 15, from 4.3 rebounds to 8.4 boards. Always with you: Incredible power play and crashing tomahawk dunks, Kemps trademark. So crashing that a movie poster inspired Seattle’s announcer Kevin Calabro to finally give Kemp the nickname Reign Man.

A nickname that couldn’t have been more fitting. On the court, Kemp was a force of nature. He sprinted the court up and down like no other Big Man. All too optimistic defenders often got an appointment with the poster photographer. Above all Alton Lister, who during the playoffs in 1992 became a supporting actor in the Reign Man’s perhaps most memorable dark performance.

“I throw the ball up and then it’s like rain is pouring out of the sky.” Gary Payton, who joined Kemp and the Sonics in 1990, had quickly recognised the benefits of his new teammate. Together with the Reign Man, The Glove formed one of the most spectacular duos of the 90s.

After his return from Real Madrid, George Karl finally built the most atypical team of the decade around the two superstars in their early stages. Where other teams often moved the center of their offense to the lowpost, Seattle loved the transition game.

Opposing wings were often trapped, the fast ball loss forced to get going and let Payton and Kemp take care of the rest. But the Sonics were not only spectacular, they also became one of the dominant teams of the Western Conference.

In 1992 the sensation was still against Golden State, in ’93 they lost very close against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, before Seattle went into the playoffs as the best team in the west in 1994. 63 games were won in the Regular Season, three more were scheduled against Denver. Just after the two sovereign opening victories.

But everything came differently. Suddenly Dikembe Mutombo was overjoyed on the floor of the Key Arena and didn’t want to give up the ball. The Nuggets had actually made a comeback. Seattle, number one was eliminated. Negative voices became loud. The sonics couldn’t handle the imponderables, they said.

It was hardly surprising that the team’s superstar was not exempt from such criticism. The rumours that Sonics and Bulls were discussing a trade about Kemp and Scottie Pippen came up sooner than later. “That hit me already,” the Reign Man explained afterwards.

The first cracks appeared, which were to become even deeper in the following years despite the participation in the finals in ’96. In focus: As so often, dear money. Kemps contract was still negotiated under old salary conditions – i.e. with a smaller salary cap. Kemp asked for a raise, maybe he asked for it. He didn’t get any.

It wasn’t easy for Kemp to accept that alone. But it became almost unbearable when the Sonics gave Jim “You can’t teach height” McIlvaine a 33 million dollar contract. To put this into perspective: Kemp had dominated the playoffs of Hakeem Olajuwon in the years before, then Karl Malone and finally, despite the friendly guard of Dennis Rodman, shone in the finals. McIlvaine was – just big.

The Reign Man cooked, the dispute escalated and culminated in a trade that brought Kemp closer to the Cleveland Cavaliers and his descent. Weight problems, drug problems, alcohol problems, cocaine withdrawal. In addition at least seven children of six different women. No longer the Reign Man, Shawn Kemps escapades dominated the headlines.

From Cleveland we went to Portland, to Orlando and finally to Italy. The old Shawn Kemp, however, nobody got to see him anymore. One last comeback attempt in 2006 went wrong. Kemps escapades deprived him of a larger, longer career. After the Sonics move to Oklahoma City his jersey won’t be retired either.

Kemp still seems satisfied. He now lives in Seattle and successfully runs a restaurant there. “I found out that if something goes wrong, you shouldn’t look for the mistake in others,” he says. “It’s always up to you.” Words that are at least as fascinating as the flight interludes of the Reign Man.