Shawn Kemp was arrested on Wednesday (Mar. 8) in Tacoma, Washington for his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting. Kemp has not had a run-in with the law since the mid-2000s when he was arrested a couple of times for drug charges.
Kemp was first arrested in 2005 in Shoreline, Washington. He was booked with another man after police found small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, as well as a semi-automatic pistol. He pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.
The 53-year-old former NBA star was then arrested a year later for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Houston, Texas. Since his second arrest, Kemp has stayed out of trouble before his arrest on Wednesday.
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As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Shawn Kemp was arrested on Wednesday afternoon following an altercation at a mall parking lot in Tacoma, Washington.
The Tacoma Police Department reported that an altercation occurred between two people in different cars. Shots were fired, but fortunately no one was injured in the incident. They arrested a 53-year-old male, assumed to be Kemp, and a gun was confiscated.
Shawn Kemp career in restrospect
Shawn Kemp had a great high school career in Indiana, breaking records held by the legendary Larry Bird. Kemp enrolled for a semester at Kentucky but never played a game for the Wildcats. He was drafted 17th overall in 1989 by the Seattle SuperSonics out of Concord High School.
Kemp was a dynamic player with explosive athleticism. He was one of the best power forwards in the 1990s, teaming up with Gary Payton to lead the Sonics to the 1996 NBA Finals. He was also a five-time All-Star during his tenure in Seattle from 1989 to 1997.
After eight seasons with the Sonics, Kemp was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1997. He struggled with his weight during his three seasons with the Cavaliers, where he was a one-time All-Star. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000 before finishing his career with the Orlando Magic in 2003.