Shawn Kemp 'The Reignman'

The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Kemp in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft and he quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Kemp was one of the NBA's premier high flyers with outstanding leaping abilities. At the time, he was the youngest player in the NBA. Half-court lob passes from Gary Payton to Kemp became a regular sight. Together with Payton, Detlef Schrempf, Sam Perkins and Hersey Hawkins, they became a highly successful squad. After Kemp's second NBA season, he picked up the nickname "Reign Man" after Sonics announcer Kevin Calabro saw a poster with the name and found it fitting to add to his radio broadcasts. Conflicting accounts attribute this to his love of the Seattle weather as a rookie, as well as his appreciation of the Dustin Hoffman movie Rain Man.[1]

He played for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, winning the gold medal.[2]

Kemp's career peaked in 1995-96, when he led the Sonics to a franchise-record 64 wins and their first NBA Finals appearance since 1979. They faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who were coming off an NBA record 72 wins. The Sonics managed to push the heavily-favored Bulls to six games before losing.

Kemp, having signed a long-term contract before the rapid increase in NBA salaries, was earning substantially less than most players of his repute. He was outraged when Sonics management denied Kemp's request for a raise, while offering Jim McIlvaine, a second-year reserve from the Washington Bullets, a five-year, $35 million contract. Kemp threatened to refuse to play in the upcoming season, and the resulting tension with management eventually led to a blockbuster three-team trade following the 1996-1997 season that sent Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks forward Vin Baker to the Sonics, and Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill from the Cavaliers to the Bucks.

Category:

Sports

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• Kemp
• sonics
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• payton
• weed
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[kingcam0775]

I hate that Gary Payton doesn't have these videos.

[DavidBaller101]

@kingcam0775 Payton was the better player but Shawn Kemp had more highlights. You can't deny that.

[BrettH123]

Awesome video! You included the Lister Blister, that was legendary. At 1:40 it looks like Kemp is spiking a volleyball

[DavidBaller101]

Thanks. Shawn Kemp was a beast.

[melotus19]

prototype of blake griffin right here i think, shaun kemp was amazing

[kingcam0775]

@MRPric3LEss

Your comment would make sense if Gary Payton only ever laid the ball up. I'm at least 73 percent sure tha this highlights would have more to it than that, but I could be wrong.

[MRPric3LEss]

@kingcam0775 well people likes to see more DUNKS than lay ups no disrespect to GP but SK was more fun to watch and highlights is about HIGHLIGHTS not statistics

[kingcam0775]

@DavidBaller101

I can't...

[kingcam0775]

@yelbagonzales

I'd say that most teams today have superstars comparable or better than a lot of these mentioned. (of couse no one better than Jordan or Olajuwon right now)

[yankeefan175]

"half the man, half the drugs"

unfortunatly that was true for the Reign Man

[yelbagonzales]

@DavidBaller Hey! wow1 The Nba during the 90's those were the days to watch it, i mean Jordan,pippen, barkley, kemp, Ewing, olajuwon, robinson, larry johnson, excuse everyteam had a superstar.

[Aku51]

Half court lobs Payton to Kemp; Awesomeness !