Alright, is “basketball legend” a little much? Maybe. But it’s what I think of most when it comes to Kemba and I feel like I’m not alone. When you think of everything at UCONN/the Big East Tournament/NCAA tournament, the creation of Cardiac Kemba, how fun and unstoppable he was at times in the NBA, and his patented smile, I’m not sure there’s a basketball fan out there that isn’t a Kemba fan. When he was healthy and in his prime, the dude was as fun as it gets on the court.
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Sadly, like so many explosive smaller guards, injuries ultimately did Kemba in. A guy that while he was making All Star teams as a Hornet was a lock for 79-82 games a year (4 straight 79+ seasons), unfortunately Nick Nurse got his hands on Kemba during the 2019-20 All Star Game, and the rest was history. After that moment, Kemba’s knee was so jacked he never played more than 43 games again and was out of the league a quick 2.5 years later which sadly it the brutal reality for smaller guards at the NBA level. Once you lose your explosiveness/first step quickness, that’s pretty much it.
Personally, I’ll always have love for Kemba. When he came over in a post-Kyrie world, part of it was because Danny Ainge offered him a max, but part of it was also because the team needed a chemistry and culture fix. After the toxic Kyrie years, the Celts needed someone who not only was an All Star level talent, but a player of that stature who believed in their foundational young pieces, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Kemba, was exactly what the team needed at the time
Joe Murphy. Getty Images.The way Kemba not only embraced being the #3 behind the Jays at that that stage of his own career was such a massive part of both of the Jays’ development. Coming from what things were like with the previous point guard and all that hierarchy bullshit, Kemba came in with one purpose. To help make the Jays great. He saw the vision and understood what they were both capable of together
Brian Babineau. Getty Images.and if that meant taking a “backseat” that’s exactly what Kemba did. No ego, no drama, none of that shit.
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Then, at the end of his tenure as a Celtic, Kemba delivered us one last gift
The return of NBA Champion Al Horford. Suddenly, all was right in the world once again with Al Horford returning to Boston. While many at the time considered this to just be a salary dump, in reality it was the return of an integral piece of a championship team. That never happens without Kemba’s deal, so while that max didn’t deliver a title via Kemba on the court, it ultimately did help deliver a title via being a trade asset. I’m not saying give Kemba a ring, but I will be thankful for his time as a Celtic for everything he did on and off the court.
Definitely one of the most entertaining and fun players of this current era, there was truly nothing like Cardiac Kemba when he started to get on a roll. Not a bad career if you ask me.