Latest news with #SeattleSuperSonics
CNN
32 minutes ago
- Climate
- CNN
Indiana Pacers' team flight to NBA Finals takes a detour due to tornado warning in Oklahoma City
The Indiana Pacers' journey to the NBA Finals was never going to be easy, but it got a little more complicated, and it had nothing to do with basketball. The team's flight bound for Oklahoma City for a Game 1 tilt with the Thunder was detoured by literal thunder and forced to land in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to a tornado warning in the capital Tuesday afternoon. 'The Pacers team plane circled due to the weather in Oklahoma City and subsequently landed in Tulsa to re-fuel,' a representative for the team said. The Pacers have since told CNN that the team jet has departed Tulsa to complete its journey to Oklahoma City. 'We're appreciative of the efforts made by the Delta pilots and crew, and hope everyone in Oklahoma City and the surrounding affected areas remained safe,' the team said in its updated statement. CNN has reached out to the NBA for comment on the situation. The Pacers are playing for a championship for the first time since 2000, when the team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the franchise's one and only NBA Finals appearance. The Pacers' path to the Finals included victories over the Milwaukee Bucks, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, and a six-game defeat of the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Thunder meanwhile are appearing in their first NBA Finals since 2012, where they lost to the Miami Heat. The franchise's only NBA championship came in 1979, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics. The Western Conference's No. 1 seed, the Thunder, advanced to the Finals with a sweep against the Memphis Grizzlies, a seven-game epic against the Denver Nuggets, and most recently a five-game win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The best-of-seven NBA Finals begins with Game 1 Thursday night in Oklahoma City. CNN's Angela Fritz contributed to this report
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trouble finds ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp once again, and he'll serve time for it
Former Seattle SuperSonics forward Shawn Kemp, center, attends a WNBA basketball game between the Seattle Storm and the Chicago Sky on May 18, 2022, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/Associated Press) Shawn Kemp's name has long been synonymous with prodigious talent, a ton of trouble and wasted opportunity. Now he'll likely also be known for a jail sentence. Kemp, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault Tuesday for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Tacoma, Wash., mall parking lot. The plea was part of an agreement in Pierce County Superior Court in which prosecutors will recommend nine months of confinement in the county jail when Kemp is sentenced in August. Advertisement Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement after the March 2003 shooting, and prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge. No one was hurt but the Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged. Kemp contended in a court filing that he fired in self-defense after one of the men shot at him. The 4Runner drove off before Tacoma police arrived and and an empty holster was found inside the vehicle when it was discovered abandoned days later. 'Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,' Kemp's attorney Tim Leary told the Seattle Times. 'He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.' Seattle SuperSonics' Shawn Kemp going in for a dunk as Houston Rockets' Hakeem Olajuwon (34) defends during the second quarter of their NBA playoff game May 5, 1997, in Houston. (Pat Sullivan / AP) Kemp famously battled cocaine addiction and fathered at least seven children with six different women during a 15-year NBA career that began when he was 19 years old in 1989. Advertisement Kemp was arrested in 2006 for drug possession in Washington, found with cocaine, marijuana, and a pistol. Growth has been halting, however, even for someone who sprouted 13 inches between the ninth and 11th grades, topping out at 6-foot-10. His weight ballooned during his career from 230 pounds to more than 300, yet he remained capable of dominating on the court. Read more: Kemp Becomes Loaded Question That was long ago, though. And on Tuesday in court, his attorney explained that Kemp's truck was broken into on March 8, 2023, when he and other employees who worked at his marijuana dispensary, Kemp's Cannabis, were attending a concert in Seattle. Advertisement According to court documents, Kemp's cellphone and game-worn Kemp and Gary Payton jerseys were among the items stolen. Kemp used a phone tracking app to find the alleged thieves and confronted the driver of the 4Runner in a Tacoma mall parking lot. A man in the back seat shot at Kemp with a handgun, according to the filing, and Kemp returned fire. The 4Runner fled, and when the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside but there was no gun, documents said. As part of his plea, Kemp cannot possess a firearm. In addition to the proposed nine-month sentence, Kemp will spend one year in community custody and pay restitution. 'His plan is to tell the community about the dangers of gun violence, really to be a positive influence on youth,' Aaron Kiviat, another of Kemp's attorneys, told the Seattle Times. Advertisement In a statement outlining the plea agreement, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe said that the case should be resolved ahead of trial because the two alleged victims were illegally in possession of Kemp's belongings. Both alleged victims are currently serving prison sentences in other cases. One is serving a seven-year sentence, in part for a July 2023 shooting in which he mistook the victim for Kemp. The same man recently filed a civil suit against Kemp stemming from the mall shooting. Nicknamed the "Reign Man," Kemp made $91,572,963 during his 15-year NBA career that ended in 2004. He was a six-time All-Star and helped the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA finals in 1996 when he averaged a career-high 21.2 points a game. Kemp also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic. Kemp reflected on the ups and downs of his career on the All the Smoke podcast with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, saying, "Going through some problems and stuff that I went through in my career also hurts you at the end. But I think when you look at the good side of it, and you compare the numbers and stuff, I'm right there with some of the best ones." Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Express Tribune
Shawn Kemp shooting: Former NBA All-Star pleads guilty, sentencing set for August
Former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree assault in a 2023 shooting incident outside Tacoma Mall, Washington, avoiding trial as part of a plea agreement. Kemp, 55, entered the plea in Pierce County Superior Court following a March 2023 altercation where he shot at two men in a Toyota 4Runner during a dispute involving stolen property. No one was injured, though both vehicles were damaged. Originally charged with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, Kemp faced additional counts of assault and drive-by shooting before reaching the deal. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of nine months in jail, one year of post-release supervision, and restitution. According to court filings, the incident began when Kemp's truck was broken into during a Seattle event. Items stolen included keys to his cannabis dispensary, a cellphone, and sports memorabilia. A phone tracking app led him to confront the suspects near a casino and later at Tacoma Mall, where an exchange of gunfire reportedly occurred. Documents say a man in the back of the 4Runner fired first, prompting Kemp to return fire in an attempt to disable the vehicle. The 4Runner fled and was later found abandoned. Police recovered an empty holster but no firearm. Though one witness reported both parties were armed, the prosecution cited credibility issues with witnesses and the illegal possession of Kemp's property by the suspects as factors in resolving the case outside court. As part of the plea, Kemp must forfeit his right to own firearms and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement. Kemp, a six-time NBA All-Star, spent most of his career with the Seattle SuperSonics before stints in Cleveland, Portland and Orlando. He declined to comment Tuesday. His attorney, Tim Leary, stated Kemp accepted the deal to take responsibility while highlighting the self-defense nature of the incident. Sentencing is scheduled for August.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shawn Kemp Pleads Guilty in Seattle Area Mall Shooting
Former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to second degree assault on Tuesday as part of a deal with Pierce County, Wash., prosecutors to resolve his charges for shooting at—he said in self-defense—two men inside a Toyota 4Runner outside the Tacoma Mall in 2023. Kemp, 55, had faced charges for first degree assault and drive-by shooting for an incident where, according to Kemp's attorneys, Kemp returned fire at men in a car who allegedly shot at him first. None of the bullets hit anyone. More from Haliburton, Clark Push Parent Company to New Financial Heights Cade Cunningham Gains $45 Million From All-NBA Honors Celtics Sale Gets $1B Investment From Indian Steel Titan Mittal Tacoma police saw the situation differently. Some of the video surveillance video allegedly didn't support Kemp's narration—including whether he was armed when he approached the 4Runner or, as Kemp said, whether he ran back to get his gun after being shot at. Also, 13 minutes before he arrived at the mall, Kemp allegedly texted 'I'm about to shoot this [expletive].' While who shot first remained a point of contention, there was agreement Kemp had pursued this 4Runner. Kemp's attorneys explained that his truck was broken into and stolen from it were his iPhone, a Gary Payton jersey, the purse of one of Kemp's employees at his local cannabis dispensary and other items. Kemp used an app to track his stolen phone and, according to The Seattle Times, initially had a conversation with one of the men in the parking lot of a casino. That discussion led the man to release some of Kemp's property but not the phone. Kemp later tracked the phone in the mall parking area, and he approached the 4Runner to demand the rest of his property be returned. The two men in the 4Runner are now incarcerated for involvement in other criminal matters. One has sued Kemp for intentional infliction of emotional distress over the shooting. Kemp will be sentenced on Aug. 22. He faces a maximum of a decade in prison, but prosecutors recommend the 6-foot-10, six-time NBA All-Star spend nine months in jail. Kemp played 14 seasons in the NBA from 1990 to 2003, during which he reportedly earned $91.6 million in NBA salaries. He was three-time All-NBA and renowned for his high-flying dunking ability. Kemp also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic. Nicknamed the Reign Man during his career, Kemp has been involved in other legal controversies. In 2000, Reebok terminated its $11.2 million endorsement deal with Kemp after he was quoted criticizing sneakers being made by footwear companies at that time. He also told a reporter that probably his favorite sneaker of all-time was Nike's Air Force II, which he wore while in high school. Kemp sued Reebok, which countersued Kemp, and the parties resolved the dispute via a settlement. Best of College Athletes as Employees: Answering 25 Key Questions
National Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp pleads guilty to assault charge
Article content TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to an assault charge on Tuesday for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot. Article content Article content Kemp, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma as part of a plea agreement, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt. Article content Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge, The Seattle Times reported. Convictions on those charges could have resulted in a lengthy prison term. Article content He will be sentenced in August. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended that Kemp be sentenced to nine months in jail, one year of Department of Corrections supervision and support after he is released, and to pay restitution. Article content Kemp, a six-time NBA all-star who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, declined to comment to the newspaper on Tuesday. Article content 'Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,' Kemp's attorney, Tim Leary, told the Times. 'He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defence nature of how this transpired.' Article content According to court documents filed by Kemp's attorneys, Kemp and several employees who worked at his cannabis dispensary were at a Seattle concert venue when Kemp's truck was broken into on March 8, 2023. An employee's purse was stolen along with keys to Kemp's business, a cellphone, paperwork and sports memorabilia, including game-worn Gary Payton and Kemp jerseys that were to be auctioned off for charity, the defence's trial brief says. Article content Article content Using a phone tracking app, Kemp located and briefly tried to talk to the driver of the 4Runner that was circling a casino parking lot, according to the trial brief. The men in the vehicle afterward dumped some of Kemp's belongings but hung on to the phone, the brief says. Article content Kemp later saw his phone was near the Tacoma Mall. He drove there, spotted the same 4Runner and 'expressed his understandable frustration' with the driver, according to the brief. Article content The brief says a man in the back seat 'fired off a round from a handgun at Mr. Kemp. Mr. Kemp returned fire and attempted to disable the Toyota. It did not work.' The 4Runner fled and when the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside but there was no gun, documents said. Article content A police call log included in court records indicates that at least one witness who called 911 reported that two men were firing at each other. Article content Howe, in a statement explaining the plea agreement, wrote that because of the two witnesses' past crimes of dishonesty and the 'fact that those people were illegally in possession' of Kemp's belongings, the case should be resolved short of trial. Article content
