Ralph Sampson

Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player.

He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

He averaged nearly 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots as a senior (after averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds as a sophomore, and 19 points and 17 rebounds as a junior), at Harrisonburg High, leading the team to state AA basketball championships in 1978 and 1979.

His senior year he lost the high school player of the year award to another talented center, Sam Bowie.

However, he did get a form of revenge against Bowie, outplaying him in the Capital Classic, getting 23 points and 21 rebounds with 4 blocks in a game styled "Battle of the Giants".

Sampson was arguably the most heavily recruited college basketball prospect of his generation and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times in a span of fewer than four years (December 17, 1979; December 1, 1980; March 30, 1981; November 29, 1982; December 20, 1982; and October 31, 1983).

Playing center for the University of Virginia, he led the Cavaliers to an NIT title in 1980, an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1981, and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 1983.

He earned three Naismith Awards as the National Player of the Year, only the second athlete to do so (Bill Walton was the first), and a pair of Wooden Awards.

Sampson considered leaving Virginia after his junior year and declaring for the 1982 NBA draft.

The San Diego Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers would flip a coin to determine who would draft first overall, but the deadline for Sampson to make himself available came before the scheduled coin flip.

Rather than risk playing for the Clippers (who ended up losing the toss), Sampson stayed in school.

With his size and agility, Sampson was expected to revolutionize the center position with expectations to previous legends at the position from Wilt Chamberlain to Bill Russell when he reached the National Basketball Association.

A 7 ft phenom, three-time college national player of the year, and first overall selection in the 1983 NBA draft, Sampson brought heavy expectations with him to the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The NBA Rookie of the Year, Sampson averaged 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds for his first three seasons with the Houston Rockets before injuries began to take their toll.

The Houston Rockets picked him first overall in the 1983 NBA draft.

As a rookie, he averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds, played in the All-Star Game, and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

The Rockets managed only a 29–53 record in 1983–84, which qualified them to pick first in the 1984 NBA draft.

Houston selected fellow center Hakeem Olajuwon out of the University of Houston.

Many observers criticized the Rockets' choice, believing the two 7-footers (known as the Twin Towers) would not be effective playing together, while others thought the combination could be overpowering.

Sampson, playing a new style of power forward, had new expectations placed upon him.

At the time, Dallas Mavericks Coach Dick Motta said, "That front line, when history is written when they've grown up, might be the best-assembled on one team. Ever."

Houston guard John Lucas said of Sampson's move to forward, "He'll revolutionize the game."

In 1984–85, the Rockets improved by 19 games to 48–34 and made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

Sampson had his best individual campaign, averaging 22.1 points and 10.4 rebounds and earning a berth on the All-NBA Second Team.

He and Olajuwon both played in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, and Sampson, after scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, earned the game's MVP Award.

On March 5, 1985, in a loss against the Denver Nuggets, Sampson recorded 30 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals and was the first player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals since the league started recording steals.

The next season Houston won the Midwest Division with a 51–31 record.

Sampson experienced his first scare with injury during a game on March 24, 1986, when an attempt to grab a rebound against the Boston Celtics saw him land awkwardly with his head driven into the court.

He had a severely bruised back and missed three games.

In total, he averaged 18.9 points with 11.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 79 total games that season.

In the playoffs, the Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings, but faced a stiffer challenge against Alex English and the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Semi-Finals, eventually winning the series 4–2, with the sixth and deciding game going to double overtime.

Against the defending champion Lakers in the Conference Finals, the Rockets were ready to knock off their rivals who had the best of them during the season.

The Rockets lost game 1, but the Rockets fought back, winning four straight to take the series four games to one.

In Game 5 of that series, Sampson provided one of the most memorable moments in NBA Playoff history.

With the score tied at 112, Olajuwon having earlier been ejected, and with only one second remaining on the clock, Sampson took an inbounds pass and launched a twisting turnaround jumper that bounced twice, and went through the hoop at the buzzer, giving the Rockets a 114–112 victory and a shocking series upset.

In the NBA Finals, the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics.

Boston sportswriters were not happy about not getting revenge against the Lakers who had beaten the Celtics in the Finals the year before, but the matchup was interesting with the young frontcourt challenging the old guard of the Celtics.

During the season at the Boston Garden, the Rockets were playing the Celtics well until Sampson suffered a jarring fall on his back.

Three knee surgeries later, after 12 seasons in professional basketball, he retired in 1995 as a four-time NBA All-Star and the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game.

Sampson was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Sarah and Ralph Sampson, Sr. He was already 6ft 7in tall by ninth grade, reaching 7ft 1in in high school.