TACOMA, Wash. — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was sentenced Friday to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.
Kemp must begin home monitoring within two weeks, The Seattle Times reported. He must also serve one year of state Department of Corrections supervision and complete 240 hours of community service.
Prosecutors had recommended the six-time NBA All-Star be sentenced to nine months in jail, a year of supervision and pay restitution.
Judge Michael Schwartz of Pierce County Superior Court found the circumstances surrounding the crime warranted a lesser sentence, allowing Kemp to avoid incarceration.
Kemp looked at the ceiling and blew a huff of air when Schwartz announced the sentence. He then repeatedly made the sign of the cross with his hand.
Kemp, who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, pleaded guilty to an assault charge in May as part of a plea agreement.
No one was hurt in the March 2023 shooting.
Kemp said he acted in self-defence and returned fire after one of the men shot at him from inside their Toyota 4Runner vehicle.
The defence also claimed that the two men Kemp shot at provoked the shooting by stealing Kemp’s truck, his cellphone and memorabilia in Seattle. The judge agreed.
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.
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. The 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 document said.
The 4Runner fled, and when the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside but there was no gun, according to court documents.
After the hearing, Kemp said in an interview that “the last three years have been tough.” He said he plans to be an advocate against gun violence, especially among youth.
“Think twice,” he said. “Think twice when you get mad. Think twice when you get a little upset.”
Several people sent letters of support to the court on Kemp’s behalf. About 30 people attended the hearing, including his pastor and former NFL star Marshawn Lynch.
Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando and was known for his high-flying dunks.
