Sonics, Rivals Rally To Kemp’s Defense Seattle Star Ponders Suing Nbc, Vecsey Over Story On Alcohol

Teammates and opponents alike came to Shawn Kemp’s defense Sunday in the wake of continuing reports by NBC’s Peter Vecsey that Kemp has admitted to the SuperSonics he has an alcohol problem.

And Kemp, while continuing to deny every facet of the story, hinted he might take legal action against NBC and Vecsey.

“I have some people working on it,” Kemp said. “We’ll wait until we get the best situation down. Give me a day or so and we will come together with something to respond with.”

Vecsey on Sunday stuck by the story he first reported Saturday - that Kemp had told the players during a team meeting on April 5 that he has an alcohol problem, and that he was due to meet with representatives of the NBA Players Association to discuss the situation.

“It’s not a true story and for him to say that is ridiculous,” said Kemp, who had similarly denied the story on Saturday. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but to be called that right there is ridiculous. There’s nothing to it. I’ve never had a problem like that or come close to it.”

Kemp said he didn’t meet with anybody on Sunday.

Sonics players admit a team meeting was held following a victory over Dallas on April 5, and that Kemp spoke to the team. But to a man they deny Kemp said he had an alcohol problem.

The meeting was held in the wake of Kemp missing two practices, one plane flight and being late to a meeting in the preceding five days.

Defending Kemp most vehemently was Detlef Schrempf, who went on NBC and said NBC and Vecsey owed Kemp and the Sonics an apology.

“That is vicious,” Schrempf said after the game. “There is no truth to it.”

Schrempf said the most disturbing aspect to him is that only the team’s 14 players were at the meeting, meaning Vecsey is implying his source is either one of the players or someone who heard it from a player.

“There are no sources there and there can be no sources there because that is not what was said,” Schrempf said.

“(Kemp) has had problems and he admitted it. But he never admitted to any alcohol or drugs or anything like that … and here comes something out of nowhere, somebody who has no clue what is going on here and is backstabbing us. He is backstabbing (Kemp), but also hurting us because he is saying one of us went out and lied about it and it is uncalled for. It needs some form of apology.”

NBC also said Sonics coach George Karl had not denied the story. But to reporters Sunday, Karl did deny the story and attacked Vecsey’s methods and use of unnamed sources.

“He cheats. He takes innuendo and opinion and rumors and puts them together into a theory and then he assassinates by association,” Karl said.

Also coming to Kemp’s defense was Houston forward Charles Barkley.

“Now you’ve got people who don’t know Shawn Kemp thinking he’s an alcoholic,” Barkley said.

“It just proves there is some gutless individual in the Sonics organization who is telling something that isn’t true.”