So, I was digging around for some cool retro NBA stuff, right? And the name “Shawn Kemp” popped up. Man, that dude was a beast! I mostly remember him from his Seattle days, you know, the Sonics with Gary Payton. That alley-oop combo was legendary! But then I saw something about him and the Trail Blazers. I was like, “Wait, what? When did that happen?”
So I started my little research project. It turns out, he was traded to the Blazers in ’97, it was a three-team *, huh? It feels like a lifetime ago.
My Deep Dive Process
First, I just did a basic search. Just typed in “Shawn Kemp Trail Blazers” to see what would come up.
Then, I started looking into specific games. I wanted to see if there were any standout performances I could watch. I found out his playing time was changed a lot!
Here’s what I did step-by-step:
- Started Broad: Just a general search to get the basic facts. When did he play for them? How long?
- Went Specific: Looked for game logs, stats, and highlights from his time in Portland.
- Checked the Context: What was going on with the Blazers at that time? Who were his teammates? What was the team like?
- Got Visual: Found some old game footage. It’s way more fun to watch the actual games.
You know, it’s one thing to read about stats, but it’s another to actually see the guy play. I watched a few games, and even though he wasn’t quite the same high-flyer he was in Seattle, he still had some serious skills. It was cool to see him in a different uniform, playing a slightly different role.
I even found out some old interviews and articles about his time in Portland. It gives you a better sense of what he was thinking and feeling during that period.
It’s funny how you can start with a simple question and end up going down this whole rabbit hole of NBA history. I ended up spending a good chunk of my day just immersed in this stuff. It’s like a mini-documentary project, except you’re the one doing all the research and piecing it together.
