Shawn Kemp to open Seattle's first Black-owned cannabis dispensary

Former Seattle Supersonics star power forward Shawn Kemp and Hall of Famer Gary Payton are teaming up once again. 

As noted by a press release shared by Cannabis Dispensary Magazine on Thursday, Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis is set to open at 3035 1st Ave. in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 30. It will become the first Black-owned dispensary in the city. 

Kemp has partnered with Main Street Marijuana co-founders Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide. Both Kemp and Payton will be at the green ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. local time. 

"My name is on this company and I have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition," Kemp said for the official statement. "I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience, and prices in Seattle. I have incredible partners in Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide to make sure we deliver on that promise to our customers, who are our top priority."

Kemp played for Seattle from the fall of 1989 through the end of the 1996-97 season, and he made All-Star squads every year from 1993 through 1998. Payton, meanwhile, spent 13 years with the Supersonics and helped them reach the 1996 NBA Finals, where they fell to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.