Shawn Kemp Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Shawn Kemp

Kemp in 2012

Personal information

Born

November 26, 1969 (age 55)
Elkhart, Indiana, U.S.

High school

Concord (Elkhart, Indiana)

Listed height

6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)

Listed weight

280 lb (127 kg)

Career information

NBA Draft

1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17th overall

Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics

Pro career

1989–2003

Career history

1989–1997

Seattle SuperSonics

1997–2000

Cleveland Cavaliers

2000–2002

Portland Trail Blazers

2002–2003

Orlando Magic

Career highlights and awards

6× NBA All-Star (1993–1998)
3× All-NBA Second Team (1994–1996)
McDonald's All-American (1988)
First-team Parade All-American (1988)
Second-team Parade All-American (1987)
Fourth-team Parade All-American (1986)

Career NBA statistics

Points

15,347 (14.6 ppg)

Rebounds

8,834 (8.4 rpg)

Blocks

1,279 (1.2 bpg)

Medals

Men's basketball

Representing the United States
FIBA World Championship
Gold	1994 Canada	Team competition

Shawn Travis Kemp Sr. (born November 26, 1969) is a former American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic.

Kemp was famous for his powerful and exciting dunks, which earned him the nickname "Reign Man." He is thought to be one of the greatest dunkers in the history of basketball. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and played in the 1996 NBA Finals with the SuperSonics. He and his teammate Gary Payton were a famous duo known for their pick and roll plays.

Kemp also won a gold medal with the United States national team at the 1994 FIBA World Championship.

Early Life and High School
NBA Career
National Team Career
Life After Basketball
See also

Early Life and High School

Kemp playing for Concord High School in 1987–88.

Shawn Kemp went to Concord High School in Elkhart, Indiana. He was a star player for all four years he was on the team. By his senior year, he was known as one of the top five high school players in the country. He even led his team to the state championship finals.

Kemp set many records at his high school. He became the all-time leading scorer in Elkhart County. He also held Concord High School's records for most points in a career, a single game, and a single season.

In 1988, Kemp was chosen to play in the McDonald's High School All-American game. This game features the best high school players in the nation. He played alongside other future NBA stars like Alonzo Mourning and Billy Owens.

After high school, Kemp planned to play for the University of Kentucky. However, he had to sit out his first year because he didn't meet the academic requirements to play. After some difficulties at Kentucky, he transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Texas. Instead of playing in college, Kemp decided to enter the 1989 NBA draft when he was 19 years old.

NBA Career

Seattle SuperSonics (1989–1997)

The Seattle SuperSonics chose Kemp in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft. At the time, he was the youngest player in the NBA. He learned a lot from his teammate Xavier McDaniel. As Kemp's skills grew, he became a star.

With teammates like Gary Payton, Eddie Johnson, and Nate McMillan, the SuperSonics became a very good team. It was during this time that a team announcer, Kevin Calabro, gave him the nickname "Reign Man."

One of Kemp's most famous plays happened in a 1992 playoff game. He made a legendary dunk over center Alton Lister, which fans later called "The Lister Blister."

Road to the NBA Finals

Kemp's best season was in 1995–96. He and Gary Payton led the SuperSonics to a team record of 64 wins. This took them to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979.

In the Finals, they played against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls had just set an NBA record with 72 wins that season. The SuperSonics played hard and pushed the series to six games before losing. Kemp played amazingly, averaging 23.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Leaving Seattle

Kemp became unhappy with his contract after the SuperSonics signed another player for more money. This led to disagreements with the team. After the 1996–97 season, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers (1997–2000)

Kemp played for the Cavaliers for three seasons. In his first year, he had his best scoring average and led the team to the playoffs. They lost to the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers, but Kemp played well, averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds in the series.

During his time in Cleveland, Kemp began to struggle with his fitness, which affected his performance on the court.

Later Career (2000–2003)

After the 1999–2000 season, Kemp was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. His performance continued to decline, and after two seasons, the team released him.

Kemp then signed with the Orlando Magic for the 2002–03 season. He helped the team make the playoffs. After that season, he was replaced by another player, and his NBA career came to an end.

National Team Career

Kemp was a member of the U.S. national team for the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, Canada. He helped the team win the gold medal.

He was named to the All-Tournament team along with his teammates Shaquille O'Neal and Reggie Miller. Kemp played very well, scoring 14 points and getting 9 rebounds in the final game against Russia.

Life After Basketball

After retiring, Kemp tried to make a comeback to the NBA a few times but was not signed by a team. In 2006, he was honored as one of the 16 best players in the Seattle SuperSonics' 40-year history.

Kemp has remained a popular figure in Seattle. He opened a sports bar and later became involved in other businesses in the city. His oldest son, Shawn Kemp Jr., played basketball for the University of Washington.

Kemp has also appeared on television. He was on the show Pros vs. Joes and had a small part in the animated movie Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm. A picture of him dunking is on the cover of the video game NBA Jam Extreme.

Shawn Kemp facts for kids

Contents