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NBA legend Shawn Kemp's attorney claims he 'fired back at thieves in self-defense in a bid to recover his stolen iPhone' - and insists his actions were 'legally justified' after release from jail

By Jake Nisse and Alex Raskin For Dailymail.com

Published: 22:38 GMT, 9 March 2023 | Updated: 22:38 GMT, 9 March 2023

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Shawn Kemp was acting in self-defense, says his lawyer, after the former Sonics NBA star was arrested following a parking lot shooting at a Tacoma, Washington mall.

Kemp, 53, was booked by cops at 5:58pm Pacific Time (8:58pm EST) on Wednesday, just hours after he was involved in an alleged drive-by shooting.

But Kemp's lawyer Scott Boatman has said in a new statement that his client was shot at first as he attempted to retrieve a stolen phone, and that the former basketball player did not flee the scene.

'When Mr. Kemp approached the vehicle in an attempt to retrieve his stolen property, individuals inside the vehicle shot at Mr. Kemp, who then returned in self-defense,' Boatman said in a statement provided by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

'There was not a drive by shooting as previously reported and