The Reign Man

(pic via NBA Hoot)

I figured I'd switch it up, add another element to the blog, and talk about my other love, basketball. I dedicate my first post to the Reign Man, but shouts to KJ in the bottom left, another personal favorite.


Shawn Kemp, before the weight problems and kid jokes, was a monster. Sure he had an all around game and his numbers between '90 and '97 were great but any NBA fan will tell you that his other skill sets paled in comparison to his freakish ability to touch the clouds.

Watching Kemp play is how I imagine it felt to watch Nique play in his prime, when he was pulling contest type caliber dunks during games. Sans Hersey Hawkins, a former Hornet, I was never a fan of Payton, Detlef, Perkins, or the rest of the Sonics but despite my dislike for the green and gold, I always went out of my way to watch #40.

Not only were his facials screw face inducing, his post dunk reactions were just as entertaining (see clip below for reference). He was definitely one of a kind and Vince Carter was probably the closest player to fill his shoes but that all but vanished after he fell in love with the J.

There's still a glimmer of hope though. Kemp's eldest son, Shawn Kemp Jr., recently signed with Auburn University. Whether or not he has hops like his father is still to be determined. No worries though, there's always the other seven. I kid. I kid.

(His dunk on Lister at the 3:16 mark made your grandma cry.)