Shawn Kemp, a six-time NBA All-Star and one of the best players of the 1990s, is facing what could potentially be significant legal difficulties.
Kemp, 53, who played primarily with the Seattle SuperSonics, was booked on Wednesday for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweeted that “According to the Pierce (Wash.) Corrections Inmate listings, six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp — a legendary member of the Seattle Sonics — has been booked in an alleged drive-by shooting.”
Wojnarowski’s tweet on Wednesday night was in response to an earlier announcement from the Tacoma Police Department.
Kemp has had legal issues in the past. In 2005, he was arrested in Washington state for “what appeared to be a small amount of cocaine, about 60 grams of marijuana and a semiautomatic pistol, the sheriff’s office said,” per an ESPN report at the time. The following year, he was arrested again for drugs, this time in Texas.
Still, NBA fans were shocked to hear about Kemp’s current legal issues.
Kemp was drafted by the SuperSonics in 1989. He enjoyed most of his success in Seattle, playing with the Sonics through the 1996-97 season. In that time, he made five All-Star teams and was All-NBA Second Team three times. Kemp joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 1997-98 season. He was an All-Star that year, but never again. After leaving Cleveland in 2000, Kemp finished his career with Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic.
[Adrian Wojnarowski, Tacoma Police Department, Photo Credit: Sonics Forever]