Let’s remember Detlef Schrempf, Sonics great who celebrates his birthday today (January 21)
For an athlete born in Germany and drafted into professional sports by the Dallas Mavericks, Detlef Schrempf sure feels like he’s embedded in the sports culture of Seattle as much as anyone else.
Schrempf went to Centralia High School before playing his college ball at the University of Washington. He was drafted in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft, eighth overall, just after Chris Mullin and just before Charles Oakley. He became a Sonic, though, in 1993, in a trade that sent Derrick McKey to the Indiana Pacers. His longest tenure in the NBA was with the Sonics, where he played until 1999. He played in three all star games and was Sixth Man of the Year twice in a row.
That’s all great, but his foundation is likely what he’s most known for these days. The Detlef Schrempf Foundation has reportedly raised over $19M for Northwest children’s charities in 24 years, stopping in 2017. That’s a great run!
Also, he has a song named after him, from Band of Horses:
For further reading:
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