Former NBA Star Shawn Kemp Pleads Guilty To Assault Charge In 2023 Shooting

by James Van WicklerJune 7, 2025, 2:35 pmNews >

Former NBA star forward Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to an assault charge for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.

Kemp pleaded guilty, as part of his plea agreement, to the second-degree assault charge in Pierce County Superior Court, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The Toyota 4Runner, the men were inside, and another vehicle was damaged in the shooting, but they were not hurt.

Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge, according to the Seattle Times. Convictions on those charges could have led to a lengthy prison term.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended that Kemp be sentenced to nine months in jail, one year of Department of Corrections supervision and support after he is released, and pay restitution. Kemp will be sentenced in August.

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“Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s attorney, Tim Leary, told the Times. “He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.”

Howe wrote, in a statement explaining the plea agreement, that because of the two witnesses’ past crimes of dishonesty and the “fact that those people were illegally in possession” of Kemp’s belongings, the case should be resolved short of trial.

Kemp cannot have a firearm and will be required to provide a sample for a law enforcement DNA database as a part of his plea deal.

Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who never played college basketball. He was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, who are now the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando, as he was known for his high-flying dunks.