Ralph Sampson facts for kids
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Sampson in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 7, 1960 Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. |
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| High school | Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Virginia) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Virginia (1979–1983) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1983–1995 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1983–1987 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Sacramento Kings | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Washington Bullets | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | Unicaja Ronda | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Rockford Lightning | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | James Madison (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Richmond Rhythm | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 7,039 (15.4 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,011 (8.8 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 752 (1.6 bpg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is a famous American former professional basketball player. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Sampson was an amazing player, standing 7 feet 4 inches tall. He was named the best college player in the country three times. In 1983, he was the very first player picked in the 1983 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets.
Sampson was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. For his first three seasons with the Rockets, he averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. However, injuries started to affect his career. After 12 seasons in professional basketball, he retired in 1995. He was a four-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1985.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Ralph Sampson was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He was very tall from a young age. By ninth grade, he was already 6 feet 7 inches tall. In high school, he grew to be 7 feet 1 inch.
Sampson played for Harrisonburg High. In his senior year, he averaged almost 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots per game. He led his team to win state basketball championships in 1978 and 1979. He was recognized as an All-American player. He also played in special post-season all-star games.
College Basketball Success
Sampson was one of the most sought-after college basketball players of his time. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine six times!
He played as a center for the University of Virginia. He helped his team win the NIT title in 1980. They also reached the NCAA Final Four in 1981 and the NCAA Elite Eight in 1983. Sampson won the Naismith Award three times. This award is given to the best college player in the nation. He was only the second player ever to achieve this.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Houston Rockets (1983–1987)
When Ralph Sampson joined the National Basketball Association (NBA), many people thought he would change how the center position was played. The Houston Rockets chose him as the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA draft. In his first year, he averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds. He also played in the NBA All-Star Game and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
In 1984, the Rockets also picked another tall center, Hakeem Olajuwon. Together, Sampson and Olajuwon were called the "Twin Towers." Many wondered if two such tall players could play well together. But others believed they would be unstoppable. Sampson started playing as a power forward, a new role for him.
In the 1984–85 season, the Rockets improved a lot. Sampson had his best season, averaging 22.1 points and 10.4 rebounds. He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team. Both Sampson and Olajuwon played in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game. Sampson was named the game's MVP (Most Valuable Player) after scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The next season, Houston had a great record of 51–31. In the playoffs, the Rockets made it to the 1986 NBA Finals. They faced the Boston Celtics, a very strong team. In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Sampson made a famous shot. With only one second left, he took a twisting shot that bounced twice and went in at the buzzer. This gave the Rockets a surprising win and sent them to the Finals.
In the NBA Finals, the Celtics won the series in six games. Sampson' played well, but injuries started to become a problem. In 1987, he suffered a major knee injury. He tried to come back quickly, which he later said he regretted. This injury affected the rest of his career.
Later NBA Teams (1987–1992)
After his time with the Rockets, Sampson was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1987. He played 29 games for them, averaging 15.4 points and 10 rebounds. However, his left knee continued to bother him.
The following year, he played 61 games for the Warriors. He was later traded to the Sacramento Kings in 1989. His injury problems continued in Sacramento. He played only 51 games over two seasons there.
Sampson then played a short time for the Washington Bullets in 1991–92. In total, he played 456 games in nine NBA seasons.
Playing Overseas and Retirement
After his NBA career, Sampson played eight games for a team in Spain called Unicaja Ronda in 1992. He also played for the Rockford Lightning in the Continental Basketball Association during the 1994–95 season. After this, he officially retired from playing basketball.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Ralph Sampson became a coach. In 1992–93, he was an assistant coach at James Madison University. He also coached a minor league professional team called the Richmond Rhythm. In 2012, Sampson joined the Phoenix Suns' player development staff as an assistant.
Legacy and Hall of Fame
Ralph Sampson is remembered as one of basketball's great talents. In 1996, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
In 2011, Sampson was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The Houston Rockets honored him in 2012 as a member of their 1980s Decade Team. On April 2, 2012, Ralph Sampson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is one of the highest honors in basketball.
Personal Life
Ralph Sampson has children. His oldest son, Ralph III, played college basketball for Minnesota. His younger son, Robert, played for East Carolina University and Georgia Tech. He also has two daughters, Rachel and Anna.
Sampson has reflected on his career and the three knee surgeries he had. He admitted that he tried to come back too quickly from his injuries. He tries not to think about what might have been if he hadn't been injured.
Awards and Honors
- 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 (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)
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–84 | Houston | 82 | 82 | 32.8 | .523 | .250 | .661 | 11.1 | 2.0 | .9 | 2.4 | 21.0 |
| 1984–85 | Houston | 82 | 82 | 37.6 | .502 | .000 | .676 | 10.4 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 22.1 |
| 1985–86 | Houston | 79 | 76 | 36.3 | .488 | .133 | .641 | 11.1 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 18.9 |
| 1986–87 | Houston | 43 | 32 | 30.8 | .489 | .000 | .624 | 8.7 | 2.8 | .9 | 1.3 | 15.6 |
| 1987–88 | Houston | 19 | 19 | 37.1 | .439 | .333 | .741 | 9.1 | 1.9 | .9 | 1.7 | 15.9 |
| 1987–88 | Golden State | 29 | 25 | 33.0 | .438 | .000 | .775 | 10.0 | 2.9 | .8 | 1.9 | 15.4 |
| 1988–89 | Golden State | 61 | 36 | 17.8 | .449 | .375 | .653 | 5.0 | 1.3 | .5 | 1.1 | 6.4 |
| 1989–90 | Sacramento | 26 | 7 | 16.0 | .372 | .250 | .522 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .5 | .8 | 4.2 |
| 1990–91 | Sacramento | 25 | 4 | 13.9 | .366 | .200 | .263 | 4.4 | .7 | .4 | .7 | 3.0 |
| 1991–92 | Washington | 10 | 0 | 10.8 | .310 | .000 | .667 | 3.0 | .4 | .3 | .8 | 2.2 |
| Career | 456 | 363 | 29.8 | .486 | .172 | .661 | 8.8 | 2.3 | .9 | 1.6 | 15.4 | |
| All-Star | 3 | 2 | 22.0 | .636 | — | .700 | 6.3 | .7 | .0 | .3 | 16.3 | |
NBA Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Houston | 5 | 5 | 38.6 | .430 | 1.000 | .514 | 16.6 | 1.4 | .4 | 1.6 | 21.2 |
| 1986 | Houston | 20 | 20 | 37.1 | .518 | 1.000 | .729 | 10.8 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 20.0 |
| 1987 | Houston | 10 | 10 | 33.0 | .514 | .500 | .814 | 8.8 | 2.1 | .2 | 1.2 | 18.6 |
| 1989 | Golden State | 3 | 1 | 14.3 | .409 | .000 | .500 | 4.7 | .3 | .3 | .7 | 6.7 |
| Career | 38 | 36 | 34.4 | .497 | .375 | .703 | 10.5 | 2.9 | .9 | 1.5 | 18.7 | |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | Virginia | 34 | — | 29.9 | .547 | — | .702 | 11.2 | 1.1 | .8 | 4.6 | 14.9 |
| 1980–81 | Virginia | 33 | 31 | 32.0 | .557 | — | .631 | 11.5 | 1.5 | .8 | 3.1 | 17.7 |
| 1981–82 | Virginia | 32 | 31 | 31.3 | .561 | — | .615 | 11.4 | 1.2 | .6 | 3.1 | 15.8 |
| 1982–83 | Virginia | 33 | 33 | 30.2 | .604 | — | .704 | 11.7 | 1.0 | .6 | 3.1 | 19.0 |
See also
In Spanish: Ralph Sampson para niños
- List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
- List of tallest players in NBA history
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds
- List of All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball teams
