Former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp has pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge related to a 2023 shooting incident in a Tacoma, Washington, mall parking lot, according to _the Associated Press_.
The plea deal stems from a March 2023 incident in which Kemp allegedly fired a gun at two men inside a Toyota 4Runner. While the SUV and another nearby vehicle sustained damage, no injuries were reported.
Initially charged with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, Kemp was also facing additional charges, including another assault count and a drive-by shooting charge that were added last week, according to _The Seattle Times_. The plea agreement significantly reduces the legal consequences he could have faced had the case gone to trial.
Kemp is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
The 55-year-old Indiana native enjoyed a successful 14-year NBA career, earning six All-Star selections and three All-NBA Second Team honors. A McDonald’s All-American and First-Team Parade All-American in high school, Kemp made his mark as one of the league’s most electrifying forwards of the 1990s.
He is best known for his tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he helped lead the team to the 1996 NBA Finals. Kemp also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic. Over his career, he averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. His best scoring season came in 1998–99 with the Cavaliers, when he averaged 20.5 points per game.
Kemp’s sentencing later this summer will determine the final legal outcome of a case that has clouded the legacy of one of basketball’s most dynamic players.