Stars Fade

In 1988, a year before I was even born, a man named Shawn Kemp was making history. After graduating high school and receiving a scholarship to play basketball for the University of Kentucky, Kemp was caught in a scandal after being accused of stealing two gold chains from the head coach’s son. He subsequently left the team and enrolled in Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, where he never played a single minute on the basketball court. Finally, in May 1989, Shawn Kemp entered his name into the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft and was selected as the 17^th overall pick by the Seattle Supersonics. Kemp is widely believed to be one of the first professional basketball players who entered the league with no college experience, yet his statistics show he was ready to play the game at the highest level.

My affection for Shawn Kemp started naturally. While looking through trading card albums belonging to a high school guy when I was only four or five years old, I stumbled upon an amazing card featuring Shawn Kemp dunking the ball with authority. I fell in love with his game and his persona—The Reign Man. I didn’t know what “reign” meant, and thought they were talking about falling precipitation from clouds (big confusion) while referring to Kemp, but it didn’t matter. Around my sixth or seventh birthday (I think), my parents gave me a Shawn Kemp jersey and I was in heaven. Over his first eight seasons, Kemp led the Supersonics to the NBA Finals in 1996 (only to be defeated by the amazing Chicago Bulls), made the All-Star team six times, and earned All NBA Second-Team (essentially meaning he was one of the top ten players in the league) honors three times. He was a beast, and he was my hero.

Oh, how stars fade away! In 1997 Kemp requested a trade so he could make more money. I had to change all of my room decorations from the Seattle Supersonics to the Cleveland Cavaliers. When Kemp was with the Cavaliers, the team was terrible. Even his incredible abilities couldn’t pull them out of the cellar. And then the NBA Lockout of 1999 happened, and teams missed out on 32 games that season. When many players returned to action, they were clearly out-of-shape after being barred from entering the practice facilities during the lockout. Shawn Kemp was no exception. However, along with his weightiness, Kemp had also developed severe addictions to cocaine and alcohol.

For the latter part of his career, Kemp was in Portland and Orlando trying to make a revival. Unfortunately, his demons got the best of him and he was cut after the 2003 season, never to return again. Luckily for me, a growing interest in MTV, cross country, and girls had replaced my idol worship of Shawn Kemp. The guy tried to get back in shape and make a comeback in 2005, 2007, and 2009, but to no avail. He was busted for drug possession in 2005 (found with cocaine, 60 grams of marijuana, and a semiautomatic pistol), and his health continued to decline. Today his new hope rests with his son, Shawn Kemp Jr. (who, I should probably mention, is one of AT LEAST seven children that Kemp fathered from 1989 to 1998…with a number of different women), who is slated to play basketball for the University of Washington this season. The comparisons between father and son are certainly there, and I wish Shawn Jr. the best of luck.

Maybe the point of this entry should be that there are early, telltale signs that an athlete will get into trouble as his career progresses. Kemp’s alleged theft (two gold chains) at the University of Kentucky, followed by his immediate exit from Lexington, should have been a strong indicator. Maybe the point of this entry should be that the NBA made a good decision in 2006 by requiring all high school athletes to attend college for at least one year before entering their name into the springtime draft, since Kemp could have honed his skills and worked on his behavior at UK, or even TVCC. But that’s not my point. My point is that our heroes should never be concrete. A lot of teens idolized O.J. Simpson when he was plowing through defenses in the 1970’s. Tiger Woods basically revived golf from 1998 to now. And rapper Chris Brown was widely considered the next “big thing” for hip hop in 2008. Stars fade. And these are only a few examples.

It’s important to remember that the people we idolize are just that…people. They make mistakes, and we should never hang our hats on their personas or accomplishments…especially with athletes and artists. Money damages people. Fame damages people. And expectations can oftentimes be the most crippling vices of all. These days, I try to root for my sports heroes while still remaining relatively detached. I no longer place a high value on the top dollar people out there, but instead the people trying to make a difference. Let’s idolize the people out there spreading love and hope. When was the last time we reflected on the works of Ghandi and gave the guy a standing ovation, or praised the efforts of those who put in hundreds of hours of community service every year? Let’s prioritize, and let the stars keep thinking they’re above us.