Shawn Kemp vs Ray Allen
In 1989, Shawn Kemp attended Concord High school, in Elkhart, Indiana. Kemps senior year in high school he was considered to be one of the top four to five players nationally. He led his team to the state championship finals. He finished third for the Mr. Basketball award. During senior year he signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball for the University of Kentucky. Shawn left the team November 1988, after being accused of pawning two gold chains that belonged to the head coach, Eddie Sutton’s son, Sean Sutton. Sean Sutton did not press charges, but Kemp decided to transfer to Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, but he did not play basketball for them. When Shawn Kemp was 19 years old he declared himself eligible for the 1989 NBA draft. The Seattle Supersonics drafted Kemp first round. Shawn was still young though and struggled to find his place in the NBA. He looked up to his former teammate Xavier McDaniel. Xavier mentored Shawn to help him find his place. Shawn Kemp, Nate McMillan, Ricky Pierce, and Gary Payton worked together and became very successful. During Shawns second season oh playing for the Sonics he picked up the name “Reignman,” meaning that he has power. In 1994 Shawn Kemp played for the US National Team in the FIBA World Championships in Toronto, and won a gold medal. (FIBA is French and stands for Federation International de Basketball Amateur, in English in means International Basketball Federation.) Shawn Kemp also appeared on a celebrity basketball game on MTV called Rock ’N’ Jock, where Shawn dunked on the young Leonardo DiCaprio. Also, during the Rock ‘N’ Jock he played one on one with Queen Latifah, she stole the ball from Shawn and made a lay-up! In 1995-1996 Kemp and Payton led the Supersonics to a record of 64 wins and their first NBA Finals since 1979. In the finals they had to face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls who were coming off of an NBA record of 72 wins. The Bulls beat them, but before they