Offensive Game
Dominant interior scorer who averaged 20+ points at his peak. His combination of post moves, putbacks, and above-the-rim finishing made him nearly unguardable in his prime.
Career Journey
Seattle SuperSonics
1989-1997
Shawn Kemp arrived in Seattle in 1989 as a teenager who had never played a college game, and the SuperSonics grew him into one of the most electric power forwards of the 1990s. The "Reign Man" earned six straight All-Star nods and three All-NBA Second Team selections, feeding off Gary Payton's passes for lob dunks that defined the era. What the highlight reels underrate was his footwork and motor on the glass — he averaged a double-double across his Sonics peak, not just posters. In 1995-96 he and Payton drove Seattle to 64 wins and the Finals, where Kemp torched Chicago for 23.3 points a night. His prime faded early after a trade to Cleveland, but in Seattle he was a force who married rare athleticism to genuine interior craft.
Offensive Game
Dominant interior scorer who averaged 20+ points at his peak. His combination of post moves, putbacks, and above-the-rim finishing made him nearly unguardable in his prime.
Defensive Game
Strong rim protector and physical defender in the post. His athleticism allowed him to switch and contest at the wing when needed — a versatile defensive big for his era.
All articles
Shawn Kemp made six All-Star teams as the most explosive player in Sonics history, leading Seattle to the 1996 NBA Finals. The OKC Thunder honor his #40 as part of the franchise's Sonics heritage.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
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Cleveland Cavaliers
1997-2000
Portland Trail Blazers
2000-2002
Orlando Magic
2002
Prep-to-pro at 19 (1989)
Seattle drafted him 17th overall without his having played college basketball — a rare prep-to-pro forward of his era.
6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Second Team
Named an All-Star six straight years and earned three All-NBA Second Team selections during his Seattle prime.
1996 NBA Finals run with Gary Payton
He and Payton led the Sonics to a franchise-record 64 wins and the Finals, where Kemp averaged 23.3 points and 10.0 rebounds against the Bulls.
Intangibles
Excellent feel for interior positioning, lob timing, and above-the-rim situations. His basketball IQ was most visible in his ability to exploit angles off the pick-and-roll with Payton.
Personal Life & Family
Status
Private
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
Youth programs in Elkhart, Indiana
Did You Know?
Kemp entered the NBA at 19 without playing a single college game — yet became a six-time All-Star, defying every conventional expectation about player development pathways.
His partnership with Gary Payton — 'The Glove and The Reign Man' — was one of the defining duos of 1990s basketball, combining elite defense at point guard with explosive athleticism at power forward.
Kemp's nickname was 'The Reign Man' — a play on 'Rain Man' and Seattle's famous rainfall, given to him by the Seattle fanbase that idolized his above-the-rim style.
His 1996 Finals performance against the Chicago Bulls — when he averaged 23.3 points and 10.2 rebounds against the Rodman-Pippen defense — remains one of the great individual playoff runs by a power forward in NBA history.
Career Honors
6x NBA All-Star (1993-98)
1996 NBA Finals appearance with Seattle SuperSonics
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1990)
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