Seattle SuperSonics legend Shawn Kemp was charged with first-degree assault in an alleged drive-by shooting in March.
Kemp allegedly fired a gun in a Tacoma shopping center parking lot after a confrontation between the occupants of two cars. Nobody was hurt.
He was released from a Washington jail the next day.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Seattle SuperSonics’ Shawn Kemp shoots during a game on March 18, 1997 at the United Center in Chicago. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kemp says property was stolen from his car and he acted in self-defense, a source close to the former NBA star said. Kemp tracked his missing iPhone to the Tacoma Mall, and as he approached a vehicle, a suspect fired at him and he responded in self-defense, he says.
Kemp will plead not guilty, his attorney, Scott Boatman told ESPN.
Kemp, 53, spent eight seasons in Seattle, a franchise that moved to Oklahoma and became the Oklahoma City thunder.
Shawn Kemp (40) of the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. (Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBA ANNOUNCES 30-GAME SUSPENSION FOR MILES BRIDGES AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT
Seattle played against the one led by Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals and lost in six games.
Kemp retired after spending the 2002-03 season with the Orlando Magic.
He averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for his career after being the 17th overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft.
Shawn Kemp of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after hitting a shot in the fourth quarter of a playoff game against the Indiana Pacers. (Reuters)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
After basketball, he went on to own a business. He opened two marijuana dispensaries in the Seattle area after the state legalized the sale of recreational weed.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.