A researched consensus introduction to Shawn Kemp's defining games.
Editorial methodology and sources
Cross-checked NBA game archives, official league video, team histories, career records, and recurring historical discussion. The order centers the two postseason runs that made Kemp an enduring Seattle icon, led by the Game 7 that returned the SuperSonics to the Finals, while retaining his regular-season scoring ceiling and his strongest performances against the champion Bulls.
- #1. Kemp delivered 26 points and 14 rebounds as Seattle beat Utah 90–86 in the deciding Game 7 of the 1996 Western Conference finals, sending the SuperSonics to their first NBA Finals since 1979. NBA: 1996 West finals Game 7 archive · NBA official Jazz–SuperSonics Game 7 box score
- #2. Kemp scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked four shots in Game 2 of the 1996 Finals, mounting his most complete performance on basketball's largest stage against the 72-win Bulls. NBA official SuperSonics–Bulls Game 2 box score · Bulls: the 1996 championship season
- #3. Kemp set his career scoring high with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting and added 14 rebounds as Seattle beat the Clippers 123–110, capturing the explosive regular-season apex of the Reign Man. NBA official Clippers–SuperSonics box score · NBA official Shawn Kemp career profile
- #4. Facing a 3–0 Finals deficit, Kemp produced 25 points and 11 rebounds as Seattle defeated Chicago 107–86 in Game 4, giving the franchise its first Finals victory since its 1979 championship. NBA official Bulls–SuperSonics Game 4 box score · NBA: history of the 1996 Finals
- #5. At 23, Kemp scored a playoff-career-high 33 points with six rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in a 120–114 Game 5 duel with Charles Barkley, announcing himself as a conference-finals star even in defeat. Suns: 1993 Western Conference finals Game 5 · NBA official SuperSonics–Suns Game 5 box score
Reviewed through 2026-07-18