A former NBA star has pleaded guilty to an assault charge in Washington state.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that 6-time All-Star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court.
Kemp, 55, was charged after he shot a gun at two men inside a Toyota 4Runner at a mall parking lot in March 2023.
Kemp will be sentenced in August, according to the Associated Press, with prosecutors recommending he pay restitution, spend nine months in jail and have one year of supervised release.
Kemp was a major star in the 1990s known for his dunking ability. He spent most of his career teaming with Gary Payton on the Seattle SuperSonics.
The duo led the team to the 1996 NBA Finals where it lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
“Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s attorney, Tim Leary, told the Seattle Times. “He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.”
According to the Associated Press, Kemp and several employees who worked at his cannabis dispensary were at a Seattle concert venue when Kemp’s truck was broken into on March 8, 2023.
An employee’s purse was stolen along with keys to Kemp’s business, a cellphone, paperwork and sports memorabilia, including game-worn jerseys of Gary Payton and Kemp that were to be auctioned off for charity.
Kemp apparently tracked the suspects to the Tacoma Mall where the alleged confrontation took place after a man in the back seat of the 4Runner fired off a round from a handgun.
Kemp returned fire in an attempt to disable the Toyota, but was unsuccessful.
Kemp also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.
