#25 - Shawn Kemp
Here is one of the cats who I had a bit of a struggle with regarding his inclusion on the list. Given that, you would think that I wouldn't have placed him so high. Is he really better than at least 25 other players that have already gotten shine? Well when you factor in a couple of intangibles, he is.
It is often misquoted that Kemp jumped to the NBA straight of high school when that's not entirely true. It just so happened that he never had any college experience. He was supposed to play for Kentucky but that never panned out. He ended up a community college too late to suit up so he declared for the 1989 NBA Draft. He entered the League as the youngest guy there at the time and quickly made a name for himself as one of the premier high flyers with incredible leaping abilities.
Alongside with future Hall of Famer Gary Payton, Reign Man helped make the Seattle Sonics the premier team in the Eastern Conference. Every point guard loves to have that one player with freakish athleticism that can put down any pass they throw. That was Kemp. He posterized cats on a regular basis without any discern as to who was on the other end of one of his vicious dunks. His play contributed to the Sonics getting a franchise-record 64 wins and their first NBA Finals appearance since 1979 when they faced the Bulls in the 1996 Finals. Again, MJ denied another star of their only chance at a ring.
When Seattle refused to give Kemp a VERY much deserved raise but inexplicably gave Jim McIlvaine a 5-year $35 million contract, Shawn started fostering severe disdain towards the franchise. It got him sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he lost his drive and weight problems and drug abuse derailed what was once an oustanding career. So even though is time in the spotlight seemed brief, it was spectacular while it lasted. Plus, Reign Man in his prime looks eerily like my cousin Dejai so that also aided in him getting ranked so high. Hey...it's my list.
#24 - David Robinson
I still remember when David was a senior at the Naval Academy there was a big deal made about his upcoming graduation. He had clearly established he was the best player in the country which is why the San Antonio Spurs chose him as the #1 pick in 1987. The problem was he had to fulfill his commitment with the Navy by serving two additional years as a Lieutenant. Folks were wanting the Navy to make an exception and release him just so he could play pro ball. Come on...like that was really going to happen.
When the Spurs finally did get him two years later, he made sure to show everyone what they had been missing. One would think there would have been some rust from not playing high-level competitive ball for two years. Apparently not for Dave. He lead the Spurs to the greatest single season turnaround in NBA history. They went from 21-61 in the '88-'89 season to 56-26 in the '89-'90 season. There was no question he was the NBA Rookie of the Year.
I will never forget the 1994 season when the Spurs were determined to have the Admiral secure the scoring title. It was coming down to the wire against Shaq. The Spurs kept feeding David the ball and he scored a record 71-points again the LA Clippers to take the title. It was one of several awards and accomplishments he would achieve in his storied career. All of them coming during his 14 years with the Spurs. How many NBA ballers these days will stay with a team that long and eventually retire with them?
It wasn't enough that David was such a powerhouse on the floor. He was also one of the nicest guys the League had ever seen. You could see it in how he carried himself and even how he played. Mr. Robinson just had that type of personality that transcended the game and a charming charisma to match. When you see guys like that come along, you always want the best for them with their career. That's why it was very refreshing to see him achieve nearly every NBA (and even Olympic) accolade possible. It couldn't have happened to a better person.
