Outplaying 6-0 NBA finals record holder Michael Jordan was no simple task for any player of his era. Often, players were rewarded with higher pay scales or some other perks if they managed to outdo ‘His Airness’. Such was the case with Shawn Kemp. His team official planted inside Kemp’s head the idea of a higher pay scale. Notably, the former NBA star earned $9.48 million during his time in Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), as per HoopsHype. However, it turns out that this amount could’ve been higher had he fulfilled one condition laid down by his General Manager.
Appearing on ‘All The Smoke’ podcast, Kemp recalled questioning his team management about what he needed to do to become one of the highest-paid NBA stars. He detailed, “The general manager came to me. And he was like, ‘Well, if you want to be one of the highest paid, then all you gotta do is outplay Michael Jordan.” The 6x All-Star got an opportunity to prove his worth in 1996 when the SuperSonics faced the Chicago Bulls in the finals.
“I look at it as an opportunity. That’s an opportunity for me to shine and it’s also an opportunity for you to make more money, as they said,” Kemp said on the podcast. Now it may seem he came nowhere close to MJ’s stat line of 30.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in the 96 playoffs. However, Kemp surprised everyone when he averaged 20.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in the playoffs. Another aspect of the entire scene was this being SuperSonics’ first NBA Finals appearance since 1979.
And although ‘Reign Man’ failed to secure a championship win against Michael Jordan’s Bulls. Him guiding his team to a clean sweep against Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets in the conference semi-finals cannot go unnoticed. Apart from this, the SuperSonics secured a hard-fought 4-3 win against Karl Malone’s Utah Jazz in the conference finals. This makes it clear Kemp was competing against some big names even before he faced MJ in the finals. But did he achieve an expected return from his team after displaying such proficiency? In the same episode, Kemp also sheds light on how rudely the officials treat their players if they end up losing the series.
What led to Kemp’s departure from the SuperSonics?
Even though the 6x All-Star failed to outplay Michael Jordan, there is no denying he deserved a raise after delivering an impactful season for Seattle. “I played well, done those little things… When it came time for payday, there was no phone call. When you lose the series, that’s what they do to you sometimes…” Kemp stated.
However, he stuck with the team for another season. Although later, the franchise signing free agent center Jim McIlvaine to a seven-year, $33.6 million contract did not go well with ‘Reign Man’. “When you play for seven years, and you’ve proved yourself to be an All-Star, then you see guys who haven’t proved themselves sign for millions of dollars, you have a right to be upset.” Kemp told AP News back in 1996.
However, he stated his disappointment has nothing to do with Jim or any of his teammates. Considering McIlvaine averaged just 3.5 ppg in his two seasons with the team, Kemp’s disappointment would be understandable. Whatever the reason, the 6x All-Star forced a trade out of Seattle after season 1996, landing in Cleveland.
Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.