| | Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Feeling like a new man now that he's out of Cleveland, Shawn Kemp promised Thursday that he'd be in shape for training camp and try to fit in with a team already loaded with forwards.
| |  | |
| Kemp |
"It's going to be a rebirth of my career," Kemp said after
being introduced by the Portland Trail Blazers during a news
conference. "You'll probably see me smile a little bit more than
what you have the past three seasons."
Kemp deftly handled questions about his weight, which soared
past 300 pounds last summer and brought him waves of taunts with
the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I've heard so much about the weight the last couple years that
all I can tell you is, once I go to training camp, that won't be a
problem," Kemp said.
Kemp hardly looked like the Michelin Man, but he said he's been
working out "all summer long." Kemp said the extra
pounds actually helped him last season, when he had to play center
in place of the injured Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
"If I did not have the little extra weight that I put on, I honestly believe I would have suffered an injury, because I took a lot of pounding. I've guarded every center there was in the league the last two years," he said.
With the acquisition of Dale Davis from the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, the Blazers now have more forwards than they know what to do with. Kemp likely will back up Rasheed Wallace at power forward, but he also could play center behind Arvydas Sabonis and small forward in relief of Scottie Pippen.
Kemp, a career 16.8 scorer, said he won't cause problems if his
minutes go down or he has to come off the bench.
"Playing a role does not hurt me," Kemp said. "It'll be a
challenge for me to come in and fit with a team that's already
good. Most of the time when you're going for a championship, unless
you have guys who are willing to sacrifice, you're not going to win it."
Kemp had his best statistical season in 1999, the year of the
lockout and his second with the Cavs. He averaged a career-high
20.5 points and 9.2 rebounds.
"Over the years he's done such a tremendous job developing from
a young player into an All-Star, and now we've got a chance to
hopefully make him into a champion," Portland coach Mike Dunleavy
said.
Losing took its toll, however. Cleveland made the playoffs just
once during Kemp's time there -- his first season, when the Cavs
lost in the first round. All the while Kemp was hounded for his
unwieldy contract, which will pay him $46.5 million in 2002-03 and 2003-04.
"I played so many years without having a big contract, to have the big contract and not win and not have the appreciation, it hurt," he said. "I never want to be considered a guy who made a lot of money who didn't earn it. That was the toughest thing to deal with of anything."
Kemp said he was glad to be working again with Blazers general
manager Bob Whitsitt, who drafted Kemp as a 19-year-old in 1989.
Kemp also will rejoin longtime Sonics assistant coach Tim Grgurich.
"We started off together," Kemp said. "These are the guys I
worked with to create my identity, to create the Reign Man, to
create the most precious things in life that I've got."
| |
ALSO SEE
Three-way deal sends Grant to Heat, Kemp to Blazers
Blazers hope Kemp turns his act around
|
