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| | Thursday, August 31 Blazers hope Kemp turns his act around | |||||
| Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. -- He's no longer the "Reign Man" who electrified fans in Seattle a few years back, but the Portland Trail Blazers hope Shawn Kemp can regain enough of his skills to make them forget about losing Brian Grant. Kemp, overweight and unwanted in Cleveland, was traded Wednesday to the Blazers, who re-signed Brian Grant and shipped him to Miami. The Heat, in turn, sent Chris Gatling and Clarence Weatherspoon to the Cavaliers. "He's had a great career and still has good games in him," Whitsitt said. "He's done everything a guy can do in the NBA but win a championship. He's hungry for it." Kemp, 30, led the Sonics to the 1996 Finals, when Whitsitt was Seattle's general manager. There they lost to the Chicago Bulls. Kemp was traded to Cleveland after the following season. Kemp's contract would scare off practically any owner besides Paul Allen. Kemp is due to make $46.5 million over the final two seasons, and his poor work habits, conflicts with teammates and plodding play only made his salary seem more out of proportion. "It strictly wasn't just a money issue, but at the same time, because of the back end of his contract, the flexibility of being able to do anything to improve this team was greatly limited," said Cavs general manager Jim Paxson. The 6-foot-10 Kemp topped out at 317 pounds before training camp last summer, but recovered to have a decent year. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds, and played in all 82 games. In 1998-99, Kemp averaged a career-best 20.5 points. Whitsitt, who had just returned from a safari in Africa, said he didn't talk diet programs with Kemp. "I didn't ask," he said. "Clearly, I expect him to be in shape to play, and I know he will. If you look at what he did last year, you have to be an athlete in good shape to do that. I expect him to come in ready to play. That's not an issue to me." Replacing Grant won't be easy for Kemp, at least not right away. Grant's dreadlocks and Bob Marley tattoo, combined with his intense will to win, made him the fans' favorite. Grant also endeared himself by befriending terminally ill children and taking on other charitable causes. Fans were stunned when Grant voided the final four years and $40 million on his contract and became a free agent. But Grant knew he could land a blockbuster payday, and he also knew Whitsitt was interested in acquiring Kemp. Most of all, Grant was determined not to wind up in Cleveland. He visited with the New York Knicks and Cavs, but when he stopped in Miami on the way toward a vacation in Jamaica, he was sold. Grant never admitted it, but he also was bitter about stepping aside while Rasheed Wallace bloomed into one of the NBA's most exciting power forwards. After averaging a career-low 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in the regular season, Grant's numbers fell off in the playoffs. In the seven-game series against the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged just 4.4 points, and he played just eight minutes in the dramatic Game 7. "Here's one of the top power forwards in the league, and he didn't get a chance to play a lot in the playoffs," said Grant's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "That was very frustrating for him." | ALSO SEE Three-way deal sends Grant to Heat, Kemp to Blazers AUDIO/VIDEO   Shawn Kemp is dedicated in fitting into the Portland Trail Blazers organization.wav: 169 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Mike Dunleavy knows Shawn Kemp has the ability to lead his team deeper into the playoffs.wav: 105 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||