George Karl makes controversial Shawn Kemp claim: 'He was the MVP of the 96 Finals in the opinion of most who watched the series'

1996 NBA Finals

Kemp was one half of the "Sonic Boom" duo, which electrified NBA crowds during the 1990s. Shawn and Gary Payton not only turned the Seattle SuperSonics into a must-see TV but also made them a championship contender.

Their team peaked in 1995-96, winning a franchise record 64 wins. Unfortunately, that was also the year Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls recorded the then-best regular season in NBA history with a 72-10 record.

The two teams eventually met in the NBA Finals, with Kemp being Seattle's best player in the series, averaging 23.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Jordan led the Bulls with 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest.

The Bulls beat the Sonics in six games, and Mike won the Finals MVP. However, he wasn't the unanimous choice for the award. The Bulls legend garnered six out of 11 votes, with Kemp getting three and Jordan's teammate Dennis Rodman getting the remaining two.

No Jerry West scenario

Kemp was undoubtedly the Sonics' best player in that series. He also had arguably a better all-around Finals than Jordan. That said, Jerry West was the only Finals MVP in NBA history who won the award while playing on a losing team.

In that 1969 NBA series, "The Logo" averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. He also delivered one of the best Game 7 performances ever, with 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, but it was not enough as the Boston Celtics prevailed 108-106 to win the championship.

That said, very few would agree with Karl's take. Even though Kemp was definitely more than just a dunker, most think the Finals MVP award wound up in the right hands.