Seattle basketball legend Shawn Kemp, one of the faces of the Sonics during the 1990s, learned his fate in court this week. On Friday, a Pierce County Superior Court judge sentenced the six time NBA All Star to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for second degree assault. Along with that, Kemp will serve a year of community custody and put in 240 hours of community service.
State guidelines typically call for three to nine months behind bars for this charge. Judge Michael Schwartz however decided the situation justified what he called an “exceptional sentence” that allowed Kemp to avoid jail time. When the sentence came down, witnesses say Kemp looked toward the ceiling, exhaled hard, and made the sign of the cross several times.
Kemp, now 55, had entered a guilty plea in May tied to a March 2023 shooting outside Tacoma Mall. Court records state he fired at two men inside a Toyota 4Runner, hitting the SUV and another nearby vehicle but not injuring anyone. Kemp himself was also unharmed.
The former NBA star told investigators he only fired because he was under attack. He insisted one of the men in the SUV shot first, prompting him to return fire. The vehicle fled the scene before officers arrived. Days later, police recovered the SUV in Federal Way and found an empty holster inside, though no gun was located.
“I’m very apologetic for what I did,” Kemp said directly to the judge before the ruling. His attorney Timothy Leary emphasized in a memo that “He understands and appreciates that he could have and should have conducted himself differently that afternoon in the Tacoma Mall parking lot. However, the public scorn, disappointment, embarrassment and personal shame weighs heavy on Mr. Kemp. That punishment lasts much longer than any jail sentence.”
Leary also argued Kemp had been provoked because the two men had stolen his truck, his phone, and personal memorabilia in Seattle. Kemp used a phone tracking app to follow his device to the Tacoma Mall where the confrontation took place. Judge Schwartz agreed that context mattered.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors played surveillance and witness videos. In a 911 call played in court, Kemp can be heard saying “They took all my (expletive) out of my (expletive) vehicle.” Prosecutors argued there was no proof the men fired first. “At no point does he flinch. At no point does he look like he’s trying to protect himself,” prosecutor Thomas Howe said, maintaining Kemp created “a dangerous situation” by tossing his gun in bushes and not telling officers right away.
Schwartz stressed that Kemp had other options, saying, “Property is replaceable. Human life is not.”
Supporters rallied around the former Sonics star. About 30 people attended the hearing, including Kemp’s pastor and NFL legend Marshawn Lynch. Kemp’s daughter Bella wrote a letter to the court reminding everyone that “we are all capable of making mistakes.”