At the prestigious B/C All-Star Camp on his first day, Kemp outplayed highly regarded prep star Terry Mills.

A four-year varsity starter, he was considered to be one of the top four or five players nationally his senior year,[citation needed] and led his team to the state championship finals.

[5] Despite his achievements and accolades, Kemp was bypassed for the title of Indiana Mr. Basketball as Woody Austin won the award that year instead.

)[7][8][9] Kemp was selected to the 1988 McDonald's High School All-American team (considered one of the best classes of all-time),[10][11] along with such notable players as Alonzo Mourning, Billy Owens, Anthony Peeler, and Malik Sealy.

However, Kemp failed to score the minimum of 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, and was forced to miss his freshman year under the NCAA's Proposition 48 rules.

Sean Sutton did not press charges but Kemp transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Texas.

Together with Gary Payton, Eddie Johnson, Ricky Pierce and Nate McMillan, they became a highly successful squad.

After Kemp's second NBA season, he picked up the nickname "Reign Man" after the SuperSonics' announcer Kevin Calabro saw a poster with the name and thought it fitting to add to his radio broadcasts.

Kemp's career peaked in 1995–96, when he and Payton led the SuperSonics to a franchise-record 64 wins and their first NBA Finals appearance since 1979.

Shawn Kemp finished a close second in Finals MVP voting, almost becoming the second player to win the award despite being from the losing team.

[21] The eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks considered adding Kemp to their roster in time for the NBA playoffs.

Mavs' coach, and former Sonic teammate, Avery Johnson scheduled a personal workout to take place in Houston, where Kemp trained for several months.

After having the longest ovation of all the players, Kemp said after the celebration that he would play with a team in Rome and was still considering a comeback to the NBA.

The Premiata deal came about due to the good relationship between Kemp and Roberto Carmenati, the new Team Director of Montegranaro.

[24] Kemp reported to the team, played in three preseason games, then returned to Houston to assess his home for damage from Hurricane Ike.

Kemp was the owner of a sports bar in Lower Queen Anne, Seattle named Oskar's Kitchen.

[37][38][39] He was joined at the grand opening by former teammate Gary Payton, whose Cookies brand cannabis strain he sells at the shop.

Kemp and another man were found with a small amount of cocaine, about 60 grams of marijuana and a semiautomatic pistol, according to the King County Sheriff's Office.

[45][46] Kemp pleaded not guilty to the first degree assault charge during a May 4 arraignment hearing in Pierce County Superior Court in Washington state.