Ralph Sampson

At 63 years old, Ralph Sampson has this physical status:

College career

Sampson was certainly the most heavily recruited college basketball prospect of his generation, and appeared on Sports Illustrated six times in fewer than four years (December 17, 1979; December 30, 1982; and October 31, 1983).

He coached the Cavaliers to an NIT championship in 1980, an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1981, and a 1983 NCAA Elite Eight appearance. He received three Naismith Awards as the year's Best Player (Bill Walton was the first), as well as a pair of Wooden Awards. After his junior year and preparing for the 1982 NBA draft, Sampson considered leaving Virginia. The San Diego Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers will flip a coin to determine who will draft first overall, but Sampson has until noon to make himself available before the coin flip is scheduled. Sampson stayed in school rather than risking to play for the Clippers (who ended up losing the toss).

Professional career

Sampson was supposed to score like Wilt Chamberlain and win championships like Bill Russell as he entered the National Basketball Association, thanks to his size and agility. In the 1983 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets selected him first overall. As a rookie, he averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds in the All-Star Game and received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

In 1983–84, the Rockets only held 29–53 records, which earned them to finish first in the 1984 NBA draft. Hakee Olajuwon, a Houston center, was chosen to serve at the University of Houston. Many observers dismissed the Rockets' choice, arguing that the two 7-footers (also known as the Twin Towers) would not be safe playing together, although others felt the pair could be overwhelming. Sampson, who was playing a new version of power forward, had a new focus on him. "That front line, when history has been chronicled as they've grown up, could be the best-assembled on one team," Dallas Mavericks Coach Dick Motta said at the time. "Ever" is a film that has captivated people. "He'll revolutionize the game," Houston guard John Lucas said of Sampson's to-forward.

The Rockets grew by 19 games to 48-34 in 1984–85, making the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Sampson's best individual effort came in the form of a berth on the All-NBA Second Team, averaging 22.1 points and 10.4 rebounds. Both he and Olajuwon participated in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, and Sampson received the game's MVP Award after scoring 24 points and grabbing ten rebounds. Sampson led to 30 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals in the first NBA game since the league began collecting steals on March 5, 1985.

Houston holds the Midwest Division for the first time this season, posting a 531-31 record. The Rockets crushed the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs, but in the Conference Semi-Finals, they faced Alex English and the Denver Nuggets, eventually winning the series 4–2, with the sixth and deciding game going to double overtime. The Rockets were poised to face the defending champions of the Conference Finals over the weekend's the Rockets were poised to knock off their opponents who had the best of them on the season. The Rockets lost game 1, but the Rockets recovered, winning four straight to bring the series of four games to a 1. Sampson had one of the most memorable moments in NBA Playoff history, with the score tied at 112, Olajuwon's earlier participation, and with just one second remaining on the clock, Sampson executed a spectacular turnaround jumper that sailed through the hoop at the buzzer, giving the Rockets a 114–112 victory and a dramatic series upset.

The Rockets defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Boston sportswriters were furious about the fact that the Lakers were not getting revenge against the Celtics last year, but the matchup was not tense, with the young frontcourt facing the Celtics' old guard. The Rockets were playing well for the Celtics throughout the season until Sampson sustained a painful fracture in his back. Sampson was quickly spotted in foul trouble early in Game 1 as Boston truly defeated Houston 2-0 going back to Houston. Under Sampson's leadership, the Rockets won a close Game 3 on Saturday. Game 4 was also down to the wire with the Celtics losing on late Larry Bird's heroics and untimely turnovers by Rockets guard Mitch Wiggins. Sampson succumbed to taunting by Boston's much smaller 6-foot-1 backup guard Jerry Sichting, resulting in Sampson's dismissal from the game. This was odd, because the Rockets defeated Game 5 by 15 points without Ralph, thanks to the inspired performances of Olajuwon, Jim Petersen, and Robert "Bobby Jo" Reid. Sampson was back in foul trouble again, but it was no effect on the Celtic frontcourt of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. The Rockets were branded "the new monsters on the block" after the series, according to Boston coach KC Jones, with the Rockets' prospects looking promising. Sampson averaged 14.8 points on.438 shooting, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game during his six-game championship series loss to the Celtics.

Sampson was out of favour with Rockets Coach Bill Fitch and was traded with guard Steve Harris to the Golden State Warriors for Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and Joe Barry Carroll, who was injured halfway through the 1987-88 season. Sampson's knee and back pains aggravated, and he never played a full season in the remaining years of his NBA career.

Sampson was traded for Jim Petersen by the Sacramento Kings in 1988-1989 and had 6.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. Sampson's health problems lasted in Sacramento, earning him just 51 games in two seasons, with averaging of 4.2 and 3.0 points in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Sampson, who was drafted by the Kings in 1991-92, played for the Washington Bullets for a 10-game stretch before being suspended. He appeared in 441 games in ten NBA seasons, just over half of the 820 scheduled.

During the 1991–92 season, Sampson appeared in eight games for Unicaja Ronda of the Spanish League.

Sampson played for the Rockford Lightning in the Continental Basketball Association from 1994 to 1995 before eventually retiring for good.

Coaching career

Sampson spent the 1992-93 season as an assistant to head coach Lefty Driesell at James Madison University before coaching the Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Sampson joined the Phoenix Suns' player development team in October 2012. Sampson said in June 2013 that he would not return as an assistant head coach.

Source

Awards

• Naismith College Player of the Year (1981–1983)
• USBWA College Player of the Year (1981–1983)
• Adolph Rupp Trophy (1981–1983)
• Associated Press Player of the Year (1981–1983)
• UPI Player of the Year (1981–1983)
• John R. Wooden Award (1982–1983)
• NABC Player of the Year (1982–1983)
• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Herschel Walker (1982)
• Sporting News Player of the Year (1983)
• Co-Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year (1982)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1984)
• NBA All-Rookie Team (1984)
• NBA All-Star Game MVP (1985)
• NBA All-Star (1984–1987)
• All-NBA Second Team selection (1985)
• National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2011)
• Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2012)