When Shawn Kemp Ruled the World

We just noticed that basketball-reference.com now has box scores for the 1988 season on. Good stuff.

But what's better is the game logs for players. You can see a whole season of a player's performance, game-by-game. And so of course we immediately thought--Shawn Kemp, 1996.

He averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds a game, but, being the inconsistent performer that he was (although less so in '96), these numbers don't reflect the sheer hurt he put on NBA teams that year, when he still had his youthful explosiveness but had learned to avoid foul trouble.

What are we talking about?

Take November 14th, at Philly. 12-16 from the field for 29 points, but also 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks. Let's just say Shawn Bradley doesn't have this game on his reel.

Or December 15th, home to Golden State. 32 points, 16 boards, 7 assists. Yeowch.

Damn. For the empirical picture, see the game log here. For a small sample size, here's a Shawn Kemp dunk reel.

UPDATE: Look who Kemp's dunking over in that picture! It's "Big Game" Bob Horry! Nice D, you coat-tail-riding shitty-fade-having poor man's Dale Ellis! And GET YOUR HANDS OFF KLOPPY!