George Karl has a new book out, and he’s done his best to sell it by sharing stories from his many years as an NBA head coach. Some of his stories and opinions have been controversial, but hey, that’s how books are sold.
One part of his book, titled “Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection”, provides an interesting behind-the-scenes look at a juicy trade rumor from the 1990s involving two of the decade’s most dominant teams and a pair of superstars.
Based on an excerpt provided by Dan Feldman of ProBasketballTalk, a trade between the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics was discussed after the 1993-94 season involving Scottie Pippen and Shawn Kemp.
Pippen would go to Seattle in exchange for Kemp, veteran Ricky Pierce and a first-round draft pick. Both sides appeared to be on their way toward a deal before it leaked and fans were upset that Kemp, who was beloved by Seattle, was part of the package. Seattle’s owner started to question the deal as a result, and ultimately decided to pull the plug on it even though the Bulls, according to Karl, sweetened it by deciding not to ask for a first-round pick.
The most interesting nugget from the excerpt is a then-retired Michael Jordan telling Karl to do the trade, noting “Scottie can make your other players better. Kemp can’t.”
The Bulls could still have won three championships from 1996 through 1998 with Kemp instead of Pippen. Those teams were loaded, and having a determined Jordan return from a failed baseball career certainly didn’t hurt.
The trade probably would’ve helped the Sonics a lot more, and they might have faced the Bulls in the NBA Finals more than the one time it happened in 1996. Seattle had some of the most talented teams of the 1990s, but they only advanced to the conference finals round twice. Pippen was a clutch player, and his championship experience would’ve been very valuable.
Kemp did end up being traded after the 1996-97 season. He was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade that included All-Star forward Vin Baker going to Seattle. Kemp made an All-Star appearance in 1998, but it was his last elite season and his career nosedived afterward.
Seattle lost in the end, though. The Sonics didn’t accomplish anything after Kemp left and the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Would it have turned out differently if Pippen went to Seattle and won a championship? We’ll never know.
Thumbnail photo via Jennifer Stewart/USA TODAY Sports Images
