Orlando Magic Daily
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5 Orlando Magic alum who have next for the Basketball Hall of Fame

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 14: Anfernee Hardaway #1 and Horace Grant #54 of the Orlando Magic oversee the game against the Philadelphia 76ers played at the Orlando Arena on January 14, 1995 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 14: Anfernee Hardaway #1 and Horace Grant #54 of the Orlando Magic oversee the game against the Philadelphia 76ers played at the Orlando Arena on January 14, 1995 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Shawn Kemp, Orlando Magic
ORLANDO, FL – FEBRUARY 25: Shawn Kemp #40 of the Orlando Magic dunks during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Waterhouse Centre on February 25, 2003 in Orlando, Florida. The Magic won 98-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2003 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images) /

Shawn Kemp

Years with Magic: 2003

Basketball-Reference Hall of Fame Probability: 38.4%

The Shawn Kemp who played for the Orlando Magic in 2003 was not the Hall of Fame-caliber player. It is hard to believe that it was the same person.

At his peak, Kemp was the greatest athlete in the NBA. His games were showcases of thunderous jams and insane leaping ability. Kemp was simply breathaking.

The latter half of his career was just a sad thing to watch. Following the lockout in 1999, and perhaps because of his frustration that he could not take advantage of the ballooning salaries around the league, he allowed his weight to get out of control.

After he got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he still had an All-Star year. But he was well on his way to weighing more than 300 pounds and his career unraveling.

By the time he arrived in Orlando, he seemingly could barely get off the ground. Dunking in a Magic uniform was completely out of the question for him (except for maybe that photo above).

The sad decline and the way he failed to take care of his body or control his off-the-court impulses is as much a story as the power, ferocity and grace of his dunking with the Seattle Supersonics.

He was truly one of the great players of the 1990s. He made six All-Star Games and three second All-NBA teams. His Sonics teams, paired with Hall of Famer Gary Payton, were a consistent presence atop the Western Conference. The 1996 Seattle Supersonics finally broke through the gauntlet to reach the NBA Finals, only to run into the buzzsaw that was the 72-10 Chicago Bulls.

Kemp, at his peak run from 1991-2000, averaged 17.9 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game. If YouTube or Twitter existed in his time, he would be everyone’s favorite player just for the GIFs he created. His jam over Alton Lister is still legendary.

But in Orlando, he averaged just 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Kemp certainly has an argument to make to enter the Hall of Fame. He was one of the iconic players of the 1990s. If someone puts together a highlight reel of the 1990s, Kemp and the Sonics would appear in it several times.

Unfortunately, he was often on the wrong side of history — including the first 8-seed upsetting a top seed in the Playoffs — and failed to make a resonant historical impact outside of his highlights.