“I don’t think he was ever able to recover from that” – Steve Kerr recalled Shawn Kemp’s downfall after coming 50 pounds overweight following the 1999 lockout originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Very few players in the NBA finish their careers on such a high pedestal that it becomes nearly impossible to imagine them ever being mediocre. On the other hand, there are also stars whose prime shone so brightly that their eventual decline becomes difficult for fans to watch. For Steve Kerr, who competed against Shawn Kemp in the NBA Finals and later experienced his twilight in the latter stages of their career, he admitted how painful it was to witness ‘The Reign Man’ become subpar.
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Steve Kerr on witnessing Shawn Kemp’s downfall
From the moment Kemp earned his first All-Star selection in the 1992-93 season, he turned the Seattle SuperSonics into must-watch television. With his electrifying style of play, Kemp made full use of his 6’10” frame, detonating at the rim, elevating over defenders and finishing while absorbing extensive contact mid-air. Thus, it almost seemed impossible to stop this six-time All-Star whenever he entered the paint.
Kerr experienced this dominance up close in the 1996 NBA Finals, when Kemp averaged 23.3 points and 10 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls. However, the contrast was stark just a few years later. By the time the two paired up for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2001-02 season, Kerr witnessed Kemp average mere 6.1 points over 75 appearances, after shooting a career-low 5.4 field goal attempts.
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Thus, Kerr didn’t hesitate in admitting that witnessing a forward who once wreaked carnage in the league every time he touched the ball, fall to a level where he had no confidence to attempt half the field goals he did during his prime, was indeed a heartbreaking sight.
“We saw them in the ’96 Finals. Watching Rodman and Kemp go at it, was incredible. I think it was when Shawn was at the height of his powers. Then I played with Shawn in Portland, about 2001, it was the lockout year. A lot of guys need the game and need the structure of practicising and workouts,” Kerr said on an episode of NBA Open Court. “So, the lockout happened and he came back probably 50 lbs overweight. I don’t think he was ever able to recover from that.”
The end of Kemp’s career hurt his legacy
For many fans, while Kemp’s raw athleticism and dunking ability remain admired, his career is often remembered just as much for its abrupt decline. He averaged fewer than seven points per game in each of his final three seasons. To make matters worse, his repeated off-court struggles, including substance abuse, ultimately clouded his reputation for every basketball fan.
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That being said, Kerr, having seen both the peak and the downfall, recognizes the duality of Kemp’s legacy. Perhaps that is why modern-day fans fail to recognize the true terror of ‘Shawn Travis Kemp’ during his brief prime in the league.
Who knows, had some actions been different, even old-school NBA players might be viewing Kemp much more than just a ‘what-if’ case of their era.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.