For a guy who was so loud, explosive, and
eye-catching on a basketball court, Kemp has been pretty successful at staying
out of the spotlight since he was last seen on an NBA court in 2003. There were
a couple comeback attempts, a short stint overseas, and some legal troubles, but
overall Kemp has kept pretty quiet.
While covering the AND 1 Summer Remix Tournament, in
which Kemp had his own team, late last month at Temple University, I had an
opportunity to catch up with the ‘Reign Man,’ and ask him a couple questions
about what he’s been up to and the current state of the game.
I began by asking Shawn about his involvement with
the Summer Remix Tournament:
“I got to know
[some of the people involved in the Tournament, names were inaudible] through
doing some basketball camps for kids. So I got to know them from reaching out
to the community through camps for kids, and I really enjoyed working with
them, so we kept in touch and sort of expanded our relationship to do some of
these tournaments and other things.”
Next, I asked how he was spending his post-NBA days,
and he detailed spending time with his children. Shawn has several children,
and his oldest son, Shawn Jr. plays basketball at Washington University.
“You got some pretty big shoes for him to fill,” I
joked. Shawn chuckled in agreement.
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| Michael Kaskey-Blomain, Shawn Kemp |
“I’ve been
working with Reebok,” Kemp continued, “we’re
re-releasing the Reign Man,” referencing his signature shoe line which was
very popular during his playing days.
For those that don’t remember Kemp’s kicks, do
yourself a favor and check out his complete sneaker history here
(via nice kicks.com).
“I opened up a
bar in Seattle a little while back too, so I’ve been busy with that.”
Shawn’s spot is called Oskar’s Kitchen, and is pretty
popular with the local population.
Before Shawn headed back into the locker room with
his tournament team, I wanted to take the opportunity to ask him a question
most casual basketball fans would be curious about; who today most reminds him
of himself during his prime playing days?
“The game has
changed a lot man, it’s different,” he began. “There are a lot of really good players. I would say LeBron James is one
[who reminds me of myself] in his ability to just get a rebound and take it or
finish strong.”
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| Michael Kaskey-Blomain, Bun B |
“Blake Griffin
I guess is another one,” Kemp continued, before I cut him off, excited to
hear the answer I was expecting.
“That’s the name a lot of people like to throw out
there as far as a comparison to you,” I interjected.
“Yeah,”
Kemp chuckled, “that’s kind of an unfair
comparison for him though,” alluding to the fact that his own dunks were
probably executed with more power.
For those who need a refresher course in Kemp’s
on-court ability, I strongly suggest a trip to YouTube. I’ll even save you some
time: Here, here, and here.
With his playing days far behind him, such video
montages of his epic athleticism are the best way to remember and respect Kemp’s
radical career; one filled with highlights and memorable moments, albeit short
of a crowning accomplishment, aka a ring.
After shaking my hand and making it feel
disproportionately small, Kemp turned toward the Liacouras Center locker room
that we had been standing outside of.
“Thanks Mike,”
he said, before ducking behind the locker room door.
No Shawn, thank you.
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