Shawn Kemp

Player information
Shawn Kemp

Full name	Shawn Travis Kemp
Nickname	Reign Man
birthday	26th November 1969 (age 50)
place of birth	Elkhart , Indiana , United States
size	208 cm
Weight	127 kg
position	Power Forward / Center
college	Trinity Valley CC
NBA draft	1989 , 17th Pick, Seattle SuperSonics
Clubs as active
1989–1997 Seattle SuperSonics 1997–2000 Cleveland Cavaliers 2000–2002 Portland Trail Blazers 2002–2003 Orlando Magic 2008–2009 Premiata Montegranaro United States United States United States United States Italy
National team
1994 0000 United States	United States

Shawn Travis Kemp (born November 26, 1969 in Elkhart , Indiana ) is a retired American basketball player . Between 1989 and 2003 he played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics , Cleveland Cavaliers , Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic . Due to his physical presence and above all because of the dominance he exuded, he was nicknamed "Reign Man" ( German ruler ). In his career in the North American professional league, Kemp was among other things 6 × NBA All-Star .

Career

Youth and college

As a basketball phenomenon at Concord High School , Kemp gained notoriety early on and received over a hundred offers of athletic scholarships . Kemp chose the University of Kentucky offer in 1988 . After he was accused of stealing jewelry from a teammate, however, he was thrown from the team. Kemp planned to move to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), but failed the entrance exam and therefore moved to Trinity Valley CC (a junior college ) in the middle of the season . There he was banned for the first (started) season according to NCAA regulations.

Kemp in high school

NBA

Surprisingly, in 1989, Kemp decided to drop out and enroll in the NBA Draft . The Seattle SuperSonics voted him 17th and landed a lucky hit with him. Kemp develops alongside playmaker Gary Payton to become the team's top performer. His first of six NBA All-Star nominations followed in 1993 .

Because of his young age, he was nicknamed Manchild at that time . In the mid-1990s, the Sonics were among the top teams in the league and Kemp among the most spectacular players in the NBA, and in 1996 they made the NBA finals for the first time in almost 20 years. There they lost to the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan , Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen . Kemp played for the Sonics for eight years and averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds in his prime.

After differences of opinion with the management of the Sonics, Kemp was surprisingly sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1997 in a three-team transfer, in which the Milwaukee Bucks were also involved . In his first year, the Cavaliers surprised the NBA and reached the playoffs. Kemp was one of the best players with 20.1 points and 9.2 rebounds. After the lockout in 1999, Kemp came to training with overweight, so his explosive playing style was lost. Still, his statistics did not deteriorate much.

It was only after a weaker 1999/2000 season that his performance waned, and he was transferred to the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2000 . Even with the Blazers, Kemp could not build on old performances and came in two years to 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He was then fired from the team and signed with the Orlando Magic . After a final season with the Magic, Kemp ended his career for the time being after failed comeback attempts.

Kemp made his comeback in the 2008/09 season . On August 18, 2008, he signed a one year contract with the Italian professional team Premiata Montegranaro in the Lega Basket Serie A . Although he was 39 years old at the time, he is said to have been in good physical condition at the time. The decisive factor in Kemp's decision to sign with Montegranaro is said to have been the good relationship Kemp with the new team manager Roberto Carmenati. After playing three preseason games, Kemp returned to Houston to assess the damage caused to his home by Hurricane Ike . The contract with Premiata Montegranaro was eventually canceled.

After retiring from his career, he says he is committed to bringing the NBA back to Seattle.

Awards and Achievements

6 × NBA All-Star : 1993-1998
3 × All-NBA Second Team : 1994-1996

Web links

Commons : Shawn Kemp - collection of images, videos and audio files

Shawn Kemp - player profile on NBA.com
Shawn Kemp - player profile on basketball-reference.com
Legend series: Shawn Kemp

Individual evidence

↑ Shawn Kemp. In: nba.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020 (English).
↑ All Star - Shawn Kemp | The Seattle Times. In: seattletimes.com. February 22, 1994, accessed May 10, 2020 .
^ I Miss the Sonics | By Shawn Kemp. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .
↑ Shawn Kemp: 'I feel it. Basketball wants to come back to Seattle. ' In: For The Win . April 24, 2018 ( usatoday.com [accessed May 23, 2018]).

personal data
SURNAME	Kemp, Shawn
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Kemp, Shawn Travis (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American basketball player
DATE OF BIRTH	November 26, 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH	Elkhart , Indiana

[1] Shawn Kemp. In: nba.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020 (English).

[2] All Star - Shawn Kemp | The Seattle Times. In: seattletimes.com. February 22, 1994, accessed May 10, 2020 .

[3] I Miss the Sonics | By Shawn Kemp. Retrieved May 23, 2018 .

[4] Shawn Kemp: 'I feel it. Basketball wants to come back to Seattle. ' In: For The Win . April 24, 2018 ( usatoday.com [accessed May 23, 2018]).