What happened to Shawn Kemp in Portland?

[Cactus Jack]

He let himself go. On top of a drug addiction.

It was sad to see him unravel. Shawn was my first basketball idol growing up. The reason that I really became a Sonics fan. He was a unique & special athlete.

I think when he left Seattle he didn't have that same support group around him to keep him in check.

[WillyJakkz]

He was facing substance abuse issues

One could say he already had it in him.

I do however think Jim McIlvane singlehandedly destroyed that franchise and may have attributed to it. Well not Jim but the GM who gave him that horrific contract essentially said to Kemp and GP I'm willing to pay this guy to block shots much more than I'm comfortable with paying you two guys.

Then off to CLE he went, enter Vin Baker.

Once Shawn got to PDX he completely mailed it in and ate himself out of what should've been a very good remainder of his prime.

[PerkinsFor3]

Shawn Kemp had very serious substance abuse problems that came to a climax that first year in Portland. He checked into a rehab program during the season due to a cocaine problem. He was arrested (and suspended without pay by the NBA) several times over the next few years. It was easy to see his hops were zapped and his conditioning was rapidly declining.

He wasn't that good in Cleveland either. Yes, he put up points and rebounds enough to do a Shawn Kemp impression, but if you watched him play you could see the explosiveness was fading. He was a super efficient scorer in Seattle but he wasn't in Cleveland.

His 1st year in CLE he was still amazing. Took a squad full of sophs and rookies to the playoffs when everybody thought theyd be bottom 3. Cedric Henderson, Wesley Person, Z, Knight, Derek Anderson, Potapenko, Sura was the rotation.

[dc]

He was facing substance abuse issues

One could say he already had it in him.

I do however think Jim McIlvane singlehandedly destroyed that franchise and may have attributed to it. Well not Jim but the GM who gave him that horrific contract essentially said to Kemp and GP I'm willing to pay this guy to block shots much more than I'm comfortable with paying you two guys.

Then off to CLE he went, enter Vin Baker.

Once Shawn got to PDX he completely mailed it in and ate himself out of what should've been a very good remainder of his prime.

Kemp himself made the mistake of signing too team friendly of a contract. Then I think the summer of 1996 was a big FA spending bonanza and the Sonics signed McIlvane to replace an old Frank Brickowski at C. So this one trick pony, role playing C was now making more than the established, all-star PF who had just led them to 64 wins and a Finals appearance.

That's when things went sour between Kemp and the Sonics.

[Knightfall]

One of the biggest problems Kemp and other Blazers had were accepting their roles on a deep Blazere roster. Numerous blazers players had trouble with their roles during those blazers runs.

That front court was deep with Sabonis, Dale Davis, Perdue, Sheed and Kemp all having to split minutes. Along with Rookie Zach Randolph joining the following season.

[Mr Puddles]

Wow, I don't even remember that he played in Orlando his last season. And even started 55 games. During the Doc Rivers era. I don't have any recollection of Shawn Kemp in a Magic jersey.

Unfortunately I do. Watching Shawn Kemp barely being able to get his fat ass off the ground enough for basic dunks is one of the saddest sights I've ever witnessed in the NBA.

[TunaFish]

He has some more serious issues now.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10074961-former-nba-all-star-shawn-kemp-pleads-not-guilty-to-assault-charge-in-shooting-case

[Mr B]

Kemp was outstanding in Cleveland. So why didn't he get minutes in Portland?

Also he averaged 26.0 points, 10.3 rebounds in the playoffs for Cleveland 1998.

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

[Childs]

Watch on YouTube

[Onlytimewilltel]

Shawn Kemp had very serious substance abuse problems that came to a climax that first year in Portland. He checked into a rehab program during the season due to a cocaine problem. He was arrested (and suspended without pay by the NBA) several times over the next few years. It was easy to see his hops were zapped and his conditioning was rapidly declining.

He wasn't that good in Cleveland either. Yes, he put up points and rebounds enough to do a Shawn Kemp impression, but if you watched him play you could see the explosiveness was fading. He was a super efficient scorer in Seattle but he wasn't in Cleveland.

This. Was nowhere the same player starting with Cleveland.

[slicedbread2]

He was facing substance abuse issues

One could say he already had it in him.

I do however think Jim McIlvane singlehandedly destroyed that franchise and may have attributed to it. Well not Jim but the GM who gave him that horrific contract essentially said to Kemp and GP I'm willing to pay this guy to block shots much more than I'm comfortable with paying you two guys.

Then off to CLE he went, enter Vin Baker.

Once Shawn got to PDX he completely mailed it in and ate himself out of what should've been a very good remainder of his prime.

Kemp himself made the mistake of signing too team friendly of a contract. Then I think the summer of 1996 was a big FA spending bonanza and the Sonics signed McIlvane to replace an old Frank Brickowski at C. So this one trick pony, role playing C was now making more than the established, all-star PF who had just led them to 64 wins and a Finals appearance.

That's when things went sour between Kemp and the Sonics.

It's really tragic when you think about it. In his prime he was 230lbs but when he went to Cleveland it all fell apart. According to Wayne Embry(Cavs GM at the time) Kemp was listed as 280lbs when in reality he had let himself go all the way up to 315lbs.

Wes Welker really screwed the pooch in giving McIllvane that contract(7/33.6M) though to paraphrase Gary Payton nobody should blame Jim for taking that contract because if any of us were in his shoes we'd take it too(oddly enough Welker admitted he screwed up and shipped him out due to Jim under performing and was out of basketball by the time he was 29 due to injuries). Gary had tried to convince Kemp to overlook the deal because he'd eventually get his money but sadly it came at a major cost.

Payton to me was the one guy along with Nate McMillan who kept Kemp in check and wouldn't hesitate to tell him what he needed to hear whenever he'd slip up. Besides the drug, alcohol and weight issues it didn't help that the man was known for making it reign off the court especially in family court. Dude has 7 kids with 6 different women and that has to be insanely stressful knowing you got a whole entourage of baby mamas to pay.

[JRoy]

He was old, fat and allegedly on drugs.

[KodiakBear]

Calling him outstanding in Cleveland is a bit of a stretch. He was a bit of a letdown there. They were expecting to get a superstar and he was highly disappointing.

Wayne Embry who was the GM of the Cavs when they got Kemp even talked about how much of a letdown he was for them in his memoir.

[WillyJakkz]

Calling him outstanding in Cleveland is a bit of a stretch. He was a bit of a letdown there. They were expecting to get a superstar and he was highly disappointing.

Wayne Embry who was the GM of the Cavs when they got Kemp even talked about how much of a letdown he was for them in his memoir.

Well maybe Shawn was letdown by Wayne Embry that the Cavs PG was Brevin Knight who wasn't able to make the same type of offensive and defensive plays to set him up the way Gary Payton used to.

[og15]

Man, it was frustrating as a Blazers fan to get excited about landing him and then seeing how bad he was. His defense was atrocious. Players would drive by him and he was so slow and lazy at the time that instead of moving his feet, he’d just swat with his hands for very obvious fouls. You can see how high his fouls were despite limited minutes. That first year: 6.1 fouls per 36 minutes.

Kemp was already a foul prone player before this, 4.6 fouls/36 as a Supersonic, 4.5 fouls/36 with Cleveland, so you add him not even wanting to move his feet, and yikes!

[jkvonny]

Lost his speed, quickness, power, conditioning, mobility around the time during the 1999 lockout/strike was pretty much it. And on top of the drug issues that coincided around that time. Now that memory is serving me well. He got slower, overweight, older and developed poor work ethics.
Very unfortunate situation.