How Good Was Shawn Kemp REALLY?
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- A look at the career and talent of one of the most exciting and entertaining players to ever touch the court.
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#NBA #ShawnKemp #SuperSonics
How would Shawn Kemp do in today’s NBA, and where do you rank him among the greatest dunkers in NBA history?
I simply put it that the reign man was way ahead of his time and he would have done excellently well in today's NBA.
I would put him at top 5 or 10 amongst the other great dunkers due to his height and athleticism.
3rd, behind Dominique and Carter
Although he would have struggled alot in today's game because he wasn't really known for his outside shooting anyway as he was more of an attack the rim kind of player.
And i only hope that his son would finally measure up to him eventually.
Heard Payton say in an interview he use to throw the ball to Kemp for alley oops far away from the rim on purpose jus see How high he could jump....
kemp a beast
Kemp got traded for Vin Baker in 97 off season. It was a great regular season trade, but horrible trade once playoffs came. As a matter of fact 1 of you 3 should do a video on Vin Baker.
Kemp had the athleticism in the air on a dunk and dunked it like he had beef with the rim like Dominique
My 2 favorite players!
@@atomicwedgie8176 Same here. Kemp and the Human Highlight Film. Legends no doubt!
One of the most spectacular players of all time. A legend. The best dunks and style EVER!!
He was my favorite player from the 90’s. Wanna know how good he was? The Sonics faced the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets in the 96’ Western Conference Playoffs to advance to the finals, in those rounds Kemp basically went head to head against Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon and outplayed them both. He was as advertised!
Yeah, I remember Kemp outplaying Malone and Olajuwon in the 1996 NBA Playoffs. A lot of people forget that Kemp was even outplaying Michael for a good portion of the 1996 NBA Finals.
@@ktapreswreckd921v9 the dude is highly underrated, we might make a video on some of the most underrated and underappreciated players and he will def be included in that list
It's sad, really. After the 1996 playoffs, it was downhill for Kemp. Yeah, he made two more All-Star teams and finally got a huge contract, but neither he nor Seattle were ever the same again. He never got back to the Conference Finals, but the real shocking thing to me was that it seemed like every time he faced Karl Malone afterward, Malone completely outplayed him. Their head-to-head numbers are not pretty.
Of all the 1990s stars, I'd say he has the third-most disappointing second half of his career, behind Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill who were sidetracked by injuries. There was reason to believe he could've been the next great PF after Malone and Barkley, but he stopped getting better.
@@mrmacross Agreed wholeheartedly. Good observation. Because of his Sonic years. Kemp still remains a favorite till this day.
In his good years, all with Seattle and one with Cleveland. He was unstoppable . literally a dunking machine.
He was a f**k*ng BEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the greatest underrated duos of 90s Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton were
he was the coolest player of the 90s, along with penny, grant hill and MJ, cool moves and persona
Kemp would be a walking Technical Foul in today's NBA. He was so violent at the rim. His strength and athleticism was incredible. Being posterized by Kemp was a sight to behold back then. I'll never forget watching him play.
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Lol. This took a lot of time to type out! Thanks friend! I have already done Mitch Richmond, Isiah Thomas and Bernard King, but everything else is yet to be done 👍
Don't forget Michael Ray Richardson
also penny hardaway
@@jonnyarnett haven'y you don't a GOAT case for big boi Larry?
Bro I really want to see a germaine o neal video
Kemp may honestly be one of the best alley-oop finishers in NBA history
He is.
100% we might make a video on top alley-oop finishers and he will def make that list and probably be at the top of it
I think he is. But Zion will definitely give him a run for his money!
jbugg for sure
jbugg doubt it. Kemp won a playoff game with an alley oop
I remember in summer of 94 he got traded to Chicago for Pippen, but at last minute trade didn't go through. It could've been Payton and Pippen vs Jordan and Kemp in 96 finals.
that would be so awesome, who wins???
@@inthepaint2907 MJ. Of course.
Adam Barnett true
@@inthepaint2907
At best hypothetical Payton, Pipen, & Kemp's Sonic's would have only pushed Steve kurr, Jordan, & Roman's bulls to a game 7. . .
Devo Phantom I think Pippen Kemp and Payton would beat Jordan Rodman and Kerr
The video I've been waiting for since discovering your channel a long time ago. Used to love Kemp!
just seeing old 90s basketball youre reminded how far the nba has fallen.
Kemp was dominant. He was Maybe just in the top 5 power forwards in those few years, The SuperSonics were a great team.
He would excel in today’s game with the rules change. No longer could he be hand checked and brutalized like he was. His power would have been even more evident. Dude could fly!
Definitely top 5 power forward from 92 to 98 season. Behind Karl Malone, Barkley, and Rodman. Juwan Howard, Larry Johnson, Vin Baker had good years but weren't consistent, and Chris Webber hadn't peaked yet.
@Darryl Davis not even close. Never even averaged 20 ppg
manfred edilson damn near 20 on great efficiency
@@mosescarter5980I made the comment of someone claiming kemp was best pf 94-96. malone was getting 27 in damn good efficiency and won the mvp, how is kemp the best pf?
manfred edilson oh yeah he was never the best but definitely top 5
How good was Jonny Arnett. really?
Jaja
He was decent in high school, and was dominating in rec leagues until the pandemic happened. Unfortunately Basketball Reference doesn't keep track of his stats.
@@jonnyarnett If you and Flight balled 1o1 who winning?
Ricardo Bullefer I wouldn’t be close, bro. I would abuse him with my post game and fades
@@jonnyarnett Lmfao...you get over the virus brother?? Been praying for ya!
Still see kemp around Seattle trust me he gets his respect
I don't think Shawn Kemp gets the respect he deserved
you're spot on miss that seattle squad so much
If you don't know
He did that to himself. Couldn’t keep himself in shape and was allergic to using condoms.
@@TheIcemanthomas ya
my cousin never even heard of this nigga til jordan's last dance...these lebron kids never knew the greats
Shawn Kemp was a top 5 IN GAME dunker of all time.
i think only vince carter compares
Kemp was the best when it came to dunking in traffic.
no doubt
Hk 215 .....Wilkins too
Top three in my book.
With what I've seen in this video, he'd murder everyone in the league
for sure lol, we gonna make a video on him soon prob, would love to know what you think boss
No, he'd be forced to change his game. Isiah Thomas once made the comment that, if Kemp dunked today like he dunked then, he'd be suspended for the next five games.
No he really wouldn't
If they would have just restructured his contract and kept him in Seattle...
He got traded to Cleveland in a 3 way trade for Vin Baker, and Terrell Brandon to Bucks. Vin Baker only played good his first year in Seattle. Ironically both Kemp and Baker hit the bottle a little too much around the same time. Both got out of shape and didn't care much after 99 strike.
Seattle wii still have a team
Greatest INGAME Dunker of ALL TIME!!!!
Kemp was my favourite forward back in the 90s. His attitude and aggression in the paint epitomised basketball in that era. He wouldn't have lasted 5 seconds in today's Sesame Street version of hoops.
Sesame Street Hahahaaa! Snowflake Street....!
Lol.
he'd be dominate until he got his 2nd Tech for taunting.
Second greatest in-game dunker only behind VC. I wish he never left Seattle. BOOM SHAKALAKA!!!
I dont know hard to say tied with Dominique Wilkins
Carter wasn’t the best in game dunker. His dunks per game were very low after his 2nd season. He averaged less than a dunk a game every single year after his 2nd year.
Jordan averaged 3.6 dunks a game in his 1st 6 seasons
@@massdagod I think most people think, the difficulty of dunks that carter has done in game....great stat by the way, I never knew that...
I lowkey think carter is overrated
@@inthepaint2907 as a player?
He was a special one. One of the most powerful showman i've ever seen ! This dunks, man, him and Payton, that's what i call an Iconic Duo ! Don't care about rings, those guys had balls !
When I saw Zion Williamson play for the first time, I thought "a shorter Shawn Kemp". If the rookie does half as good, it'll be a hell of a career.
he hasnt done half as good, bout a half pound of chocolate away from an end of a career
The Reign Man!!
The 90's and NBA Jam. Kemp was the embodiment of...
Agreed
He's heating up!
a perfect combination of power and finesse..
embodiment of a talented loser...
@@contentgenius3290 so you have been more succeful than him in life...thing is nobody but me knows who the hell are you...a full of envy loser.
Been waiting for this one, fantastic as always. Kemp is one of the easiest examples of a forgotten player
In today's league, I absolutely think he would have the physical skills to be a great player. He'd have to develop a bit of an outside game, but he was so athletic any coach today would be happy to have him. He'd live on the social media highlight reels, and any team *owner* would be happy to have him, that's for sure
miss seeing Kemp play for sure, we gonna have to make a video on the legend soon too
Kemp was a better shooter then people remember and consistent free throw shopter as well.
Look at his Magic career. Once he lost his athleticism his mid rang jumper and three point were really good.
@@freyn11 You're absolutely right, I'm a Sonics fan so that's the version of him I'll always picture
Yup, I'm down. With a more spread-out floor, and rim protectors being pulled away from the basket, Kemp's athleticism as a slasher would make him deadly in the modern NBA. That would be fun to watch
4:10.. and there are actually people who feel Rodman should've won the mvp over Jordan.... He didn't even deserve it over Kemp. Great series by Rodman on the boards though.
During the 96-97 season Jordan himself said that Shawn Kemp was the most difficult player to plan for defensively.
Does anyone dunk any harder? Good god...
Very good he should been in the NBA Hall of Fame underrated...#ShawnKemp
Kemp was amazing. He basically just got fat battling his personal demons. I got his jersey!
His dunks overshadowed his all around game. He had such a smooth jump shot and was a phenomenal low post defender and rim protector.
If the rain Man played today Shawn Kemp he killed everybody in his position and he'd be a superstar
I watched a video somewhere on players from back then that would've probably been better in this era. I totally agree that Kemp, Shawn Marion, and Peja Stojakovic would've been better in this era.
I agree
@@inthepaint2907 i think more Peja with how teams are launching 3's
Dude, as a Lakers fan, Peja gave me anxiety when we played against him. With all this emphasis on spacing, and with an even greater green light to shoot 3s, Peja would be scary good in today’s game!
Kemp, Peja and Gary Payton on a team would create a contender in today's game for sure. Payton and Peja would be able to launch as many 3's as they want and Kemp is faster/more athletic than most big men even in today's NBA. His athleticism is right up there with a Giannis and AD, but neither one of them are as quick off their feet as Kemp was. Payton is also someone who utilized the transition pull up 3 pointer routinely in his game.
kemp was my favorite player growing up, following by jordan lol
Shawn The Reign Man Kemp should be in The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts One of the most Exciting players in The 90 s NBA
Without question top 3 best in game dunker of all time!
In his prime, Kemp may not have been the best, but he was my favorite
I was literally looking for a Shawn Kemp career video last night, and to my surprise you put one up today. Crazy! Keep up the great work🔥
Yeah, every time I get a video idea, I search on RUclips to see if anyone has already done it, and then decide if I still want to do it. I was very surprised to see that no RUclipsr had done a video like this on Kemp yet.
I saw Shawn Kemp live for a high-school game in Indiana. We thought we had big men who could handle him. The 3 were at least 6'5". Shawn Kemp came in and was not only 6'10" but also jumped out the gym. He had a knack for always finishing strong. Usually dunk. We thought where did this manchild come from. Needless to say we lost due to his intimidation factor to our version of big men. Shawn Kemp is one of the most athletic big men to this day! With a true knack of saying..."dunk you very much ".
I was 13-14 then but Kemps Vertical was JURASSIC🦖 ain't nobody forgot that.
Zion is just the newest version of Kemp. Kemp was big, powerful, and very athletic.
The best in game dunkers than I have had the pleasure to witness have been a young Michael. Dominique Wilkins and Shawn Kemp during his Sonics days. Vince Carter is a distance Fourth place
Easily a top 10 dunker imo.
Yeah agreed.
Top 5 dude was NASTY!
Just watched game 2 of the 96 west finals vs Utah. He came in with 5 fouls in the 4th, turned the game around with his all around presence and dominated Malone, who had his way vs the Sonics with Kemp sitting the 3rd quarter. He was scoring every time down the stretch vs Malone. Karl maybhave scored more points in the series, but one on one it was clear that at that point Kemp was the superior player
He was a street ball player. I loved his story when I was young. High School? Barely He didn't have some established collegiate family or NBA scouts like following him by his sophomore year. He had zero advantages and still still got make money off professional sports. In my eyes, Sean Kemp won the system.
He pulled those finals numbers with Rodman guarding him.
Frankly speaking I only heard of him when Dirk put him in his list of all time greats... I remember I thought let search this guy's videos online and I was totally convinced with Dirk! One of the best dunkers ever!
Kemp was part of the reason the 90s was so exciting. Hall of fame!
Zion Williamson's Atleticism and game reminds me so much of Shawn Kemp
Today's fans do forget about Kemp but they also forget how athletic other stars were prior to Kemp...players like Gus Johnson, Jumpin Johnny Green, Bill Russell, Wilt, Dr J, Dominique, David Thompson, and the list goes on and on. All those guys and many more were super athletic and could dunk with the best of today's players.
Wilt at over 7ft and 270 lbs was the fastest guy on his team, had the highest vertical on his team, and benched over 500 lbs on multiple occasions, which I have never heard of another NBA players do. Heck he was outrunning guards when he was 320 lbs later in his career. Russell was basically Hakeem athletically. Bernard King pre-knee surgery was a freak, I have never seen another guy get up as high as quick and King on a pull up jumper. David Thompson, was unbelievable. Dr J, Nique, heck I saw a 300 lb Barkley dunk and jump over a 6'3" guard at Tennessee when Chuck was at Auburn. Yeah guys practice doing some amazing things these days, back then most of the players practiced shooting, ball handling, and good footwork.
@@bryansimmons3723 I agree 100% except Russell was much more athletic than Hakeem - Bill was a ranked high jumper and there is a great clip of him jumping over a player to lay the ball in, amazing.
@@jingqi9106 People sleep on Russell because of his era, but the man was a beast, just happened to be the ultimate team player on the ultimate team. Watching old videos of he and Wilt is pretty amazing. They would destroy the soft players today.
All time dunker's?? Hell yeah. In my top 3 all-time.
Sure wish he had a better mid-range jump shot. While definitely improved, he could of been a all-time legend. Had some off court issues that effected his career.
He was a beast and my favorite player of the 90s
Kemp was a beast
Shawn Kemp - Top 3 best dunkers ever!!!
Best in-game dunkers: Vince, Nique, Kemp.
Legalize Kemp
!
A top 5 in game dunker probably. As far as him playing today, he'd be considered a one-trick pony as he didn't have a steady jumper but would still be a handful every night. At 6'10 and freaky athletic, he'd dunk all over every single team seeing how small the league has become.
Reign Man!!
Kemp is up there with Domonique on dunking!
When certain all stars came in the finals we do not need to ask how good is he.
During the 90s, Kemp was talked about as one one the best pf in the game, next to Malone, Barkley, L Johnson... Wasn't expected, dominated but short span.. exciting player to watch & also remember his jump shot being water, even before Cleveland.. would have a chip if not for the Bulls #hometeam still, great opponent since Houston ain't make it
How GOAT is Jonny Arnett REALLY?
Great drunker and very energetic guy in Seattle but it's tough to wage him precisely. Maybe I underratehim but I can't see him other than a slightly better but less durable version of Kenyon Martin. A physical specimen who shines with a great point guard for a few years but then fades away.
For me best in game dunker of all time! PERIOD! ^^
Zion maybe a beast...
But the Reign Man makes the rim sweat intensely!!
shawn kemp was pretty much 90's blake griffin
Yeah, but Kemp was a better shot blocker than Griffin. Otherwise they're similar.
I wanted to suggest Oscar Robertson since he's one of the greats and I don't think you've done a video on him.
He was my favorite dunker because his dunks were so powerful. He could jump so high and far so that almost no player could defend him when he went for a dunk. During his time, his dunks devastated his opponent's morale. Not even Jordan can compare to Kemp. Once he dunked on a defender and the defender fell. Kemp then stared at the defender and pointed at him with both of his hands. It looked like he was shaming the defender and also letting him know that no one could defend Kemp. Many years ago, I played NBA on my console and I would only use Shawn Kemp on my team. I scored all my points with dunks! It was really satisfying !
How about Dominique Wilkins? That guy had a crazy dunk too!
@@chrisguang4558 Yeah he is also a good dunker, but his dunks don't satisfy me. He likes to jump off both legs, and that creates a higher vertical, but I still like Kemp's dunks more because he jumps off one leg and travels further, like flying in the air.
Great video! i loved Kemp and the Supersonics back in the day, very entertaining team.
UNIQUE🏀
BEAST🏀🥇💙⭐💙⭐💙⭐💙⭐💙
POWER FORWARD
KEMP #40
💣💣💣💣💣💣💣
Kemp had the highest ascension of his era, even better than MJ, but I loved him cos of his style though, he is my all time favourite, no doubt, its a shame he never won anything, they were close in 1996 in the finals with the Sonics, but that was against an record breaker 72-10 Bulls, and MJ in his prime, yet still Kemp is a legendary player !
He's known for his dunks, but ask any player who had to guard him and they'll tell you the same thing: you _cannot_ back off him to guard against the dunk, because if you did, he'd ice you with a mid-range jumper. Basically, whatever Kemp tried to throw at you, you just had to take it.
I've been a Kemp fan since 1989 when he was drafted. I want to examine the NBA Finals against the Bulls. George Karl lost those games. If you put Sam Perkins at the 3-point line (untraditional I know) and let Kemp stay down low, this would have been a different series. Perkins was the best 3-point shooting center in the NBA which would have brought Luke Longly or Wentington out to guard him and leave Kemp, Schrempf and Payton inside to work their magic. Phil Jackson would have to do some series planning to figure that out.
Kemp is the 2nd greatest in game dunker of all time behind Air Canada. ONLY REASON he's 2nd is because Vince jumped over that 7ft dude head. 🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️
Jonny what a legend you are, that you made a video of Shawn Kemp, I have just watched a video of yours and commented earlier, that you could make a video of Shawn Kemp, and now found it, mate thumbs up :)
I always traded for Kemp when playing nba live.
so many don't rank him higher because they got disappointed after he gained weight. This dude dunked like no one else, effortlesly and without real disrespect. He posterized legions, yet he still cared not to harm the opponent in process. Hope he's fine now, for all the good moments he offered !
I think you probably weren't around to see how pretty Kemp's jumpshot was, from beyond the arc... If the game plan called for him to shoot 5 3s a game, he would bury at least 2 of them... His game from 92-98, was impressive, and fully formed! I wish my beloved Supes' had never signed Jim Mcilvaine, and I wish Wally Walker would've just paid Kemp... I miss Supersonics basketball
Kemp is in my list of top 4 in-game dunkers of all-time for sure. I would list MJ, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, Shawn Kemp in no particular order.
He probably would've had even more highlight dunks in today's game, so long as he was paired with PG who could lob it up to him, and he was surrounded by shooters to spread out the defense. Basically, if he got to play in a modern offense, he could've put up young Amare Stoudemire or Blake Griffin numbers. Kemp didn't quite have that volume of scoring, but in his Seattle days he always was playing in a more egalitarian system. He never took more than 14 shots per game in his Seattle seasons. If he and Gary Payton ran a dozen PnRs for him every game with today's spacing, he's getting 25 a night.
I do have another lasting impression of Shawn Kemp. As great as I thought he was, he got absolutely owned by Karl Malone head-to-head with the exception of the 1996 West Finals. I thought that series would become a sign of things to come, but after that it seemed Malone dominated every subsequent head-to-head meeting. Kemp could hold his own against Barkley, but Malone kept taking him to school.
In a sense, I'd say Kemp's career from the 1996-1997 season onward was a disappointment. It all started with the Jim McIlvane contract issue, which completely ruined his relationship with Seattle management, and then personal issues plagued him the rest of the way. He might've made two more All-Star teams in this time period, but it was a long downhill slope after the 1996 Finals.
Kemp was a beast. Nobody did what he did before he did.. was never a Sonics fan but had to watch those 2 play ... We need more Shawn Kemp highlights... Sad sad that his legacy ain't been praised enough.. before Vinsanity and those L.A clippers... 2nd Greatest power dunker after DoMonique (centers not included). Is my rating. Dude was always major fun to Watch
It's one thing to change your move while in the air and go for the reverse to avoid defending arms and hands, it's another to DUNK it in the end! 🤯🤩.
Thanks for the tribute, man. Btw you may have quoted me, and I may have stolen it from another comment, idk, it's all blury at this point. But you, sir, officially legalised Kemp! 😉
(Wittiest sign ever)
First of all, we can't compare the reign man to this dudes nowadays. The 90s was the crazy years. They where PHYSICAL in the 90s, in all sports. Nowadays you touch a player and they're blowing for a foul.
Question is can the player nowadays play like how the did in the 90s.
I grew up in SEA during Shawn's hey day... It was something special. He is TOP 5 greatest dunker - Vincent Carter is the G.O.A.T, MJ, Kobe and Dominic then Shawn.
Kemp was a fantastic shooter. He was literally the only competent big-man and slashing forward on The Sonics at the time and was an elite offensive rebounder. George Karl always wanted him near the basket for low post play and offensive rebounding. Remember, he was on a very elite Seattle team with Detlef Schremph, Hersey Hawkins, Sam Perkins, Gary Payton, and Nate McMillian. You don't need him to take any long range 2s or 3s when you have that much fire-power. You have to look deeper into the systems he played in. Gary Payton and Kenny Smith would be the first to tell you his jumper was automatic if he took it. He would excel in this era and would be more akin to a Lebron James play-style. He can dribble, pass, shoot, rebound, block shots, help defend and move off the ball.
Kemp was a freak of nature, in the physical 80s game he was very hard to guard, in the soft game of today who is stopping him? IMHO he was a better version of Blake Griffon. He would probably put up 25-10 in the league today if he was in his prime. He isn't on the level of Tim Duncan or Hakeem, but he was better than a lot of guys who are touted as being HoF quality players.
Great points. Thanks for posting. But dude, we here in Seattle DO revere and persevere. We love Sean, and his electricity was staggering - maybe Dominique or Jordon could rival that power but few these days. It's a lost art being a brute. And a good guy. ;-)
Maybe the most athletic power forward ever, easily comparable to the best power forward Charles Barkley, Blake Griffen, Sean Kemp right there, too bad to finish his career of this way would have liked to see him finish strong and maybe go to a contender and lost 4 dunk contest bud was awesome in each contest, very exiting and fun to watch Seattle Sonics were a must see basketball show nightly
As far as dunking, he's gotta be top 5. He's arguably the best in game dunker. Most people would put him up there with MJ, Dr. J, Vincanity, and Nique as top dunkers of all time.
If I could be any NBA player for a day I would want to be prime Shawn Kemp. 3 pointers, cute step-backs and nifty handles ? Meh... Give me those totally disrespectful dunks over anyone!
Complex legacy for Kemp. He almost certainly ranks in the top 5% of athletes to ever play in the NBA. Considering how gifted NBA players are, that's pretty spectacular. That athleticism translated into a player who could make a huge impact against anyone, and there were many stretches in his prime when he was the best player on the floor.
That said, his physical ability might have worked against his career. The game seemed to come too easily for him. Even before it became obvious, there were many rumors that his off-court life was an undisciplined mess, and he never really had to work on developing all-around skills. He could thrive for a half-decade despite that, but when the physical ability went, it went fast, and so did his time as an All-Star.
Had the man kept his head about him and focused on his career, no telling what could have happened. In today's NBA, Shawn would destroy anyone he played against, he was a MONSTER. Only issue with Shawn was Shawn, the man just could not focus on his career and allowed the money to take away his hunger.
I thought Kemp was pretty athletic in his first year at Cleveland. The problem was the lockout happened, he already had drinking issues, he didn't have training camp, and the teams weren't allowed to workout players. The result was he showed up something like 50 pounds overweight.
I only got to see Kemp play live once. I was in Orlando watching a game against the Heat, and Kemp had a breakaway opportunity. Since he was really overweight at this time, he ended up blowing the layup instead of hammering in the dunk. It was just a sad sight for me, since I was always impressed by his play in Seattle.
He shouldve never left Seattle n GP. The lockout fucked him up, he had too much time n money on his hands entering his 30s n got out of shape, n livin in excess....Shit most people wouldve done the same. For about 6 years in the NBA he was top 3 at his position second only to probably Barkley n Malone, n prob better than the two of them around 96-97 the peak of his career.
Very athletic while in his prime. But let’s be honest; he wasn’t that great of a player. Just take this video for instance. Most of the highlights are from alley-oops. He didn’t have much of a jump shot. Didn’t have many offensive moves.
He was fun to watch. But luckily he could jump out the building and he had Gary Payton dishing him the back at the right time.
To that title, he was obviously EXTREMELY good to go from HS directly to the NBA.