Former NBA star Shawn Kemp admitted guilt to an assault charge on Tuesday. This stems from a shooting incident involving two men inside a vehicle at a mall parking lot in Washington State.

Kemp, now 55, entered a guilty plea to second-degree assault at the Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma as part of a plea deal, per the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Although the parked vehicles sustained damage during the incident in March 2023, neither man was injured.

Originally, Kemp faced a first-degree assault charge with a firearm enhancement. However, recent developments included an added count of assault along with a drive-by shooting charge. If convicted of those charges, they could have led to a substantial prison sentence.

Kemp’s sentencing is set for August, where Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended a penalty of nine months in jail, followed by a year of monitoring from the Department of Corrections and restitution payments.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Kemp played with the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997 but declined to give a statement to the media following his guilty plea.

His attorney, Tim Leary, remarked, “Shawn is committed to moving forward positively. He accepted an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, acknowledging the self-defense aspect of the situation.”

In the court documents provided by Kemp’s defense team, they explained his involvement at a Seattle concert venue where his vehicle was broken into on March 8, 2023. The incident resulted in the theft of an employee’s purse, keys to his business, and valuable sports memorabilia intended for charity auctions.

Using a tracking app, Kemp managed to locate the suspects. After negotiation attempts turned unsuccessful and escalating tensions, a confrontation occurred later at the Tacoma Mall where the shooting transpired.

Howe’s statement revealed that the plea was suggested due to the witnesses’ past dishonesty and the illegal possession of Kemp’s belongings involved in the case. As per the plea deal, Kemp will be prohibited from possessing any firearms and must provide a DNA sample for law enforcement purposes.

Kemp originally joined the NBA in the 1989-90 season without having played college basketball and went on to play for teams including Cleveland, Portland, and Orlando, gaining fame for his impressive dunking ability.