Why the Scottie Pippen-Shawn Kemp trade didn’t go through: “They were going to burn down the stadium!”
Scottie #Scottie
Let’s take a look back at the proposed Bulls-Sonics trade that never happened.
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In the summer of 1994, NBA supremacy was up for grabs.
Michael Jordan was playing baseball, leaving the Chicago Bulls dynasty vulnerable. With that in mind, most teams explored making a move that could bring them closer to winning an NBA title. The Seattle Supersonics were one of those teams, as they explored trading then-budding star Shawn Kemp for Bulls’ legend Scottie Pippen.
Obviously, the move did not happen. Why? Well, Seattle sports fans were so crazy about Kemp that they threatened to “burn down the stadium” if the trade went through.
Diamond in the rough
In Kemp, the Supersonics had a diamond in the rough. The athletic 6-foot-10 forward entered the NBA as a 20-year-old kid from Indiana who steadily blossomed under the tutelage of coach George Karl and trash-talking point guard Gary Payton. However, that didn’t stop Seattle from considering a swap with the Bulls that would have sent the “Reign Man” to the Windy City for Pippen.
Although it was just a rumor, Seattle fans were outraged at the thought of their beloved player being traded away. They took to calling sports talk radio shows and expressing their displeasure with the idea of letting Kemp go. Team owner Barry Ackerley then put his foot down and pulled the plug on the idea.
“Ackerley called me and told me they weren’t going to make the trade. He was telling me people were calling the local radio stations saying they were going to burn down the stadium if I was traded,” said Kemp.
It worked out for the best
Kemp eventually spent eight seasons with the Sonics and led the team to the 1996-96 NBA Finals. The Sonics didn’t win it that year, and, ironically, they lost to Pippen, Michael Jordan, and the Bulls. Still, Kemp’s tenacious play earned him an All-Star nod.
After stops in Cleveland, Portland, and Orlando, Kemp ended his career as a six-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA.
On the other hand, Pippen would go on to win three more championships with the Bulls in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Interestingly, the two would eventually become teammates on the Portland Trail Blazers from 1999 to 2001.