http://www.nba.com/2012/news/featur...l-of-fame-chances/index.html#?ls=iref:nbahpt1 Does he deserve it? They are giving him a decent chance based on his dominant career as a college player. The only 3 time winner of College Player of the Year. Of course his teams always fell short of the championship.
Yes. I think he does because of his incredible college career, despite the lack of a championship, and I would include his play in the NBA, until injury left him a shell of what he once was. I would like to see Guy Lewis get in first, however.
As such a rabid fan of Phi Slamma Jamma and the fact that Elvin Hayes was one of the very first sports idles I had I have to agree. Guy Lewis did more for basketball both NBA and College just buy coaching and winning in the game against UCLA at the Astrodome. I have no problem with Ralph in the Hall based on what he accomplished in college and as much as people like to write off his NBA career he did win ROY, All-Star Game MVP, hit the winning shot against LAL that sent the Rockets to the NBA championship game and had great stats prior to the injuries.
It is too bad that Sampson never lived up to his potential in the NBA but his overall career should get him in. He was probably the greatest college player ever. Cool story bro, his son, Ralph Sampson III, plays for the Golden Gophers and I've seen Ralph Sampson II at home games a few times. Unfortunately his son is nowhere close to the player his dad was.
I noticed Bill Fitch is a possibility. He probably won't get in because of his record but he was a great coach who helped rebuild the Rockets in the 1980's from the worst team in 1983 to the NBA Finals in 1986. His record doesn't reflect his skill as he took on a lot of troubled teams.
Is there no separate HOF for college ball? If not then I guess you could make a a case for him but still I am not sure. HOF to me should be for the best of the best, game changers, top performers and with a hard work ethic and great off the court personality (involved with charities etc.).
No, there is not a separate HOF. He gets in based on college work. No reason to have combined HOF if college work can't get you in. Injuries in NBA do not diminish what he was in college.
Exactly, which is why Guy Lewis deserves to be in, as well as Ralph for his body of work in college, which was truly amazing (his brief NBA career is icing on the cake). Most people today look back on that period and think about Dream, but Sampson was a rock star nationally while going to Virginia. When the Rockets got him, they had that cover of Sports Illustrated that their championships had a hard time getting. Ralph made the cover of that rag multiple times, and probably held the record for a college star for years, if he doesn't still own it. I guess you had to be around then to get the full impact of just what Ralph Sampson meant to the college game, and to the Rockets when they drafted him. Gigantic doesn't do it justice.
I would think Fitch would be a no brainier to get in. He's one of the all time winning coaches, he has taken multiple clubs to the NBA finals and has won an NBA championship.
Ralph should definitely go to the HOF. Calvin Murphy was an NBA all-star only one time, but made the HOF because he also had an amazing college career. Ralph had a short NBA career, but during that time he was an all-star four times, he was the 1984 rookie of the year, and he was the 1985 NBA all-star game MVP. When you look at his College and Pro career, how could you not vote him in?