BOSTON (AP) -- NBA forward Shawn Kemp told a reporter that basketball sneakers just aren't what they used to be, that today's sneakers are ``throwaways,'' and that his all-time favorite pair of sneakers was made by Nike. The only problem was that Reebok was paying him $11.2 million to endorse its sneakers. Kemp testified for more than two hours in federal court Friday defending his comments in a $4.1 million lawsuit against Canton-based Reebok. Kemp, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, is suing Reebok for terminating his endorsement contract in June 2000, two months after his remarks were published in the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal newspaper. Kemp claims in his suit that Reebok owes him $4.1 million -- the amount remaining on a 5-year contract that was to expire next year. Reebok countersued, claiming Kemp owes the company more than $1 million in advance royalties it paid him. Kemp's contract, which required him to wear Reebok sneakers on and off the basketball court, prohibits him from making any disparaging remarks about Reebok or its products. Kemp told the jury that he did not consider his remarks disparaging. He said he was speaking about sneakers in general and not specifically Reeboks when he told the reporter, ``They're throwaways, because you can rip a pair of shoes out in a couple of hours now.'' He also said he wore the ``worst'' shoes of his 11-year NBA career last season. ``I signed a contract, but not to lie for them,'' he said. ``Telling the truth is not disparaging.'' Kemp said Reebok ended his contract because of his fading star status. Kemp, drafted by the NBA at 19, was a six-time All-Star early in his career when he played for the Seattle SuperSonics and Cleveland Cavaliers. But during the last three seasons, the 31-year-old forward has had weight problems. His first season with the Trail Blazers ended in April, when he checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic for cocaine abuse. ``This case is clearly about Reebok's decision that Shawn Kemp was expendable,'' said Scott Boatman, Kemp's personal lawyer. ``They were looking to replace Shawn with a younger player who was more of a superstar.'' Reebok denies that Kemp's performance had anything to do with its decision to terminate his endorsement. ``There isn't a hidden agenda here,'' Reebok spokeswoman Denise Kaigler said. ``The fact that he made disparaging comments while he was accepting millions of dollars in endorsement fees from Reebok is a direct violation of his contract.'' At 6-foot-10, 270 pounds, Kemp made an imposing witness. He shrugged his shoulders and answered matter-of-factly when Reebok's lawyer repeatedly asked him if he understood his remarks about the poor quality of today's sneakers could be construed as a criticism of Reebok sneakers, since those are what he wore on the court. ``I never said anything bad about them. I think I spoke the truth,'' he told the one-man, 11-woman jury. Kemp said he told a Reebok executive about the problem he was having with sneakers ripping along the seams. He said his teammates -- who wore sneakers made by other companies -- also complained about their sneakers ripping easily. ``It's something that happens quite often,'' he said. Kemp said he mentioned the Nike Air Force II as his all-time favorite sneaker in response to a question from the Beacon Journal reporter, who wrote an article about NBA stars' memories of the sneakers they wore while growing up. Boatman said Kemp is currently in negotiations with Nike for an endorsement contract. Testimony is scheduled to resume Monday.
