[chron]RALPH SAMPSON: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987

Before the coin flip to see who got the #1 position, Portland offered the East's #1 (Blazers got it via trade) to Houston + Clyde for Ralph. Houston turned it down, but they could have taken the trade and drafted both Hakeem and Michael in 1984.

Hindsight says this was the way to go, but had the Rockets made the deal there would have first been a crapstorm meltdown of epic proportions. I was around in those days and if there was a consensus in Houston at the time it was that they had better never let the Lakers end of with Ralph. Portland was not LA but fans and media would have nonetheless been unforgiving, at least until Jordan dropped back-to-back 36 point games on someone. Going into that draft, no one other then perhaps Jordan himself had any idea he would end up being so dominant.

Interesting to think about, IMO.

 

Man it was so awesome watching him and Akeem take down the defending champions.

 

He was amazing, really a fun player to watch. The guy deserves credit, never seen anyone quite like him since. I was 5 or 6 when they traded him. I was upset. Still am.

 

I've said it before, but watching Ralph hit that shot with my best friend, Darin (who has since passed) at Dan Patrick's ......It doesn't get any better.

And for those that think that Yao was as good or better than Ralph....Forget about it.
The Rockets were the only team besides the Lakers to get out of the West in the eighties...only to face the Celtics both times. Not only that but the League was tougher across the board. Those teams with Dream, Ralph, and Co.(esp. with Lucas, Lloyd, and Wiggins) were better than the two that won titles.
Ralph came out and dominated right away. If he had been kept at the five, he most likely wouldn't have gotten hurt, but he was so gifted/versatile/willing to sacrifice they moved him out. (Dream) Imagine a 7'4" guy bringing it up at the 3.....Dude had mad game. There are so many amazing stories about what he could do.......

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGj4W9V-wCk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVjl0QRkLoI

 

I'd think the last person to be insulted by that would be Hakeem. Ralph Sampson DID (figuratively) GET them to the Finals WITHOUT AKEEM on the court. AKEEM screwed the pooch getting ejected against Lakers, and Sampson bailed the team out and finished the job. Thats not a narrative, that did happen.

Ralph Sampson has the same # of All Stars as a Elvin Hayes as a Rocket. Just 1 less than Moses Malone and Rudy Tomjanovich. MORE ALL STARS than Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis.

Put another way - AS A ROCKET - Sampson has the same number of All Stars as Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and Otis Thorpe combined. Yes I'd say that more than qualifies him as a Rockets great. Sampson wasnt just some Bill Cartwright out there. The list of ridiculous big men includes Sampson, it doesnt omit him

 

Who would win 1 vs 1: Yao or Ralph?

 

Ralph Sampson and JR Richard, two fantastic players cut down by injury in their Prime.

DD

 

No kidding. I saw Richard pitch several times and he was simply incredible. I think he scared hitters half to death. J.R. may have had the fastest fastball I ever saw, and I saw some of the greatest to ever pitch for the Astros. Here's his debut line, and then I'll stop getting the thread off track (your fault!). He was freakin' 6' 8" tall! The guy had a wicked slider. Just wicked, and mixed it in with a 100+ mph fastball.

September 5, 1971 -

9.0 IP, 7 H, 15 SO, 3 BB, 2 ER, Win

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/news.cgi?id=richaj.01

 

Am I crazy for saying that had he been healthy, we would be mentioning him as the GOAT Rocket?

 

I wouldn't say you were crazy, but I would ardently disagree with you. Sampson would have been the second or third greatest Rocket of all time. Hakeem, Moses, and Ralph. Had Sampson been healthy, I think that's how it would have played out.

 

There's a Jordan draft interview somewhere on youtube. So modest and un-Jordan-like. I don't think he himself thought he'd be dominant either.