Former NBA All-Star Sentenced for Involvement in Shooting

NBA legend Shawn Kemp has been sentenced to 30 days of house arrest following a shooting incident in a Washington shopping centre parking lot.

The former player must also serve one year of probation and complete 240 hours of community service.

This sentence contradicts the prosecutor's request, who had recommended a nine-month prison term for the six-time NBA All-Star.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Schwartz ruled that the circumstances surrounding the incident warranted a lighter sentence, allowing Shawn Kemp to avoid jail time.

Kemp, who pleaded guilty to one count of assault in May as part of a plea agreement, reacted to the sentencing by looking at the ceiling, sighing, and then repeatedly making the sign of the cross.

Shawn Kemp defended the March 2023 incident, in which no one was injured, as an act of self-defense.

According to his testimony, he returned fire after being shot at first by a passenger in a Toyota 4Runner.

The defense argued, and the judge agreed, that the two men Kemp fired at had provoked the confrontation by robbing him of his truck, mobile phone, and collectibles in Seattle, adding a layer of complexity to the case.

Using a phone-tracking app, Kemp located the 4Runner and, according to court documents, briefly tried to speak with the driver as the vehicle crossed a casino parking lot.

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After an initial encounter where the men threw out some of his belongings but kept his phone, Kemp tracked them down again at a shopping center.

There, upon seeing the same vehicle, the man in the back seat "fired at Kemp," prompting the former NBA star to return fire.

Several people, including his pastor and former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, sent letters of support and attended the hearing, showing their backing for the man who debuted in the NBA in the 1989-1990 season and was known for his spectacular dunks.