the news about baker signing with the knicks got me thinking.... which allstar players declined as quickly as baker? don't count players who succumbed to injuries age (i.e. no terrell brandon and no hakeem).... i can think of kemp... (man he was a monster in seattle and just plain fat later on)
What can you say about Kemp? It just a tragedy. I never knew how good Shawn Kemp was till I saw some footage of him playing in Seattle, you will never imagine that sick dunking monster is the same person that he is right now. It's just a sad story. But I do wish him to get into hall of fame, just for his raw talent and all the highlight that he proved for us.
Bernard King maybe? But betwixt the two mentioned, definetly Kemp. He was unbelievable in Seattle, he went to Cleveland, and he was played out of position and his play declined, but he was still damn good. The the lockout came, and he came back from it so incredibly fat that it ruined his career.
Didn't King have a couple of bad knee injuries that contributed to his decline. I am pretty sure he had some sort of problem, but when he was on he was pretty darned good. CK
I think so, but I thought he had a drug problem like David Thompson, or a Roy Tarpley, and that was really what killed his career. And if you don't want to ignore injuries, here's a name - Larry Johnson.
I wasn't trying to contradict you, just trying to remember what actually happened to him. I didn't know about a drug problem.
one more - pippen.... i know he played well in portland but no way close to "top 50 alltime" that he was bestowed from his bull days...
King blew out not just one knee, but both I believe, over his all-star career. I do not remember him having a drug problem at all. What I do remember is after his last terrible knee injury, he came back yet again and had a stellar season, making the all star game yet again. It was amazing.
If you count injuries, Ralph Sampson and Grant Hill are the most glaring ones. Larry Johnson and Penny Hardaway are too. Maybe you can put Rudy T in this category after the Punch. As for pure talent decline, Kemp has to be the top choice. Baker was only good for a very short time. He was never at Kemp's level.
Agreed. Kemp was a freak of nature, able to dunk seemingly at will. As for Baker, he is the lowest form of life on the planet. To waste all of his talent in the bottom of a bottle is just plain stupid and a sin.
What's sad is about 2 1/2 years ago Shawn Kemp was playing pickup games at my old highschool and the scrubs he was up against were better than him.
