Shawn Kemp had all the tools to go down as an NBA great.
With a blend of athleticism, scoring ability, and defensive tenacity, he was perfect for the Seattle SuperSonics — the original ‘Lob City.’
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A photo of his famous dunk over Hakeem Olajuwon adorned the cover of 1996 arcade game NBA Jam Extreme and stands as a reminder of his prowess.
Drafted with the 17th pick in 1989, the 6-foot-10 power forward stayed in Seattle until 1997 before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster trade.
Kemp will always go down as a major ‘what if player’ for the Cavs, who had to wait for LeBron James to breathe life into the franchise.
At the time, Reign Man was a 27-year-old five-time All-Star and his first season with the Cavs saw him lead his team into the playoffs.
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But his career fell away after he reportedly turned up to the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign weighing 280 pounds — general manager Wayne Embry later claimed it was 315.
Never the same player, Kemp joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000 and Orlando Magic two years later before retiring in 2004.
Over the course of his 14 years in the NBA, he earned $90 million in contracts and also cashed in on a lucrative sponsorship deal with Reebok.
But by 2021, his net worth had shrunk to an estimated $5 million.
It’s not the first time it’s happened to an NBA star, either.
One former No.1 pick and Space Jam star with $84 million earnings lost his mansion after going bankrupt.
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For Kemp, legal troubles played a role in his blown earnings, alongside failed business ventures, including a sports bar in Seattle called Oskar’s Kitchen which shut down in 2015.
Kemp has since tried to tap into the fastest growing business in the United States — legalized cannabis. Recent estimates put its value at $34 billion and that number is only going up.
He has opened two dispensaries called Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis, although the Washington Post reports that Main Street Marijuana holds a 95 percent stake.
Kemp believes the drug could have benefits for athletes.
“Honestly, it doesn’t even really come down to smoking the plant,” he told Leaf Magazines. “Just the topicals make a big difference in pain management, allowing your muscles to heal and rest.
“Back in the day we’d play three games in a row. Now they play two at the most.
“So any of these products, whether they’re on their knees and their joints, are an absolute bonus.”
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Kemp came up against Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls during his time in the league.
Some think his lack of titles will end any shot he has at the Hall of Fame, but the 56-year-old disagrees.
“You know, I’ve always said that those first eight or nine years I had were pretty good, pretty solid,” Kemp told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on All The Smoke.
“Also, I will tell you this: I’m a six-time All-Star. So, those six games that I started, you know, who I had to beat out.
“That was Charles Barkley; that was Karl Malone every year. That’s pretty consistent basketball, right?
“I will say this, though: going through some problems and stuff that I went through in my career also hurts you at the end.
“But I think when you look at the good side of it, and you compare the numbers and stuff, I’m right there with some of the best ones.”
According to reports, Kemp recently pled guilty to an assault charge for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.
Kemp allegedly Kemp fired a gun in the March ’23 dispute — something he pleaded not guilty to stating that his actions were in “self-defense” and “reasonable and legally justified.”
Now, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court as part of a plea agreement, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and will be sentenced in August.
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“Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s attorney, Tim Leary, told the 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.”
