Shawn Kemp

They certainly wouldn’t have been the NBA’s only team to concur, but for the Golden State Warriors, the sight of seeing No. 40 from the Seattle SuperSonics powering through the lane was as unpleasant a sight as there was across the Association. Leaving behind the potential for a generational, must-remember highlight every time his 6-foot-10 frame left planet Earth, Kemp retrieves a middle-of-the-floor pass, speeding through the lane, unknowing of the history that would eventually follow. With the rim barricaded by only 7-foot center Alton Lister, Kemp fires out of a cannon, going airborne for a one-of-a-kind poster jam, accompanied by a celebratory staredown, point, and a supercharged reception from Seattle’s home crowd. Authoring a play that historians would later nickname “The Lister Blister,” Kemp’s through-the-air excellence also went rewarded with a 3-1 series victory on April 30, 1992. Still in the nascent stages of what he would eventually become — a six-time All-Star who encouraged Seattle’s Finals appearance four seasons later — Kemp dazzled in his first-ever closeout victory, logging 21 points (on 5-of-10 FG), 20 rebounds, and four blocks.

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