Yao Ming = Ralph Sampson Ralph Sampson was an awesome player, but his career was hampered due to injuries. I really hope that Yao Ming isn't going to be one of those players who had so much potential, but was never able to fulfill it because of injuries. That would suck!
Ric Bucher suggested a good example, look at Zydrunas Ilgauskas and all his foot problems early in his career. He's an iron man now. So all hope is not lost for Yao Ming's longevity. Big Z is not half the player HE once was because of early career foot injuries. The point is Yao can still be a 23-10 player 6-8 years from now, and you can still build a team around him. LOCK THREAD
All the more reason to trade of our now HIGHER 1st round draft pick to tread water until our championships in 2014-2015!
good time to educate Clutchfans on historical events: http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4062974 What the Rockets also didn't know was the first crack in their foundation had appeared when Sampson was undercut while going for a rebound at Boston Garden on March 24. There was a sickening thud when his head cracked against the parquet floor. However, the real damage was done to his back and left hip. Big man hobbled Sampson sat out for the first time in his career, missing three games and coming back with a limp. When he began to overcompensate for the pain in his hip, it led to the start of knee problems that would require three operations and cut short his career as an All-Star player. For the final six weeks of the regular season, Fitch closed practice to the media to keep a lid on the extent of the injury. "It was hard thing to see," Fitch said. "A lot of days, he could barely run, and he couldn't do anything to stop Dream defensively." "I was never the same from the time I went down in Boston," Sampson said. "It was like I couldn't play my game."
wow ppl are TOTALLY overreacting.. its an injury people..it happens..and honestly if you wanna know the most accurate comparison that you 'could' make would be Rik Smits...
Many feel that Sampson was not durable. He actually was. Once catastrophic fall led to the eventual end of his career.
Keep in mind Ralph GOT HURT in boston (see my post). He wasn't some Chris Webber. That unfortunately was such a devastating injury, it ruined his career. Yao's injury wasn't cause by an opposing player, and it isn't as bad as what happened to Ralph.
I know, that's why i posted this . Its some urban legend that people believe as fact. Like the urban legend that the Jordan Bulls whipped the Dream Rockets. didn't happen. At least we can correct people with facts, if anything comes out of this thread. And yes, Ralph was great and well loved by the fans too and he was not soft either. Yao's injury is probably caused by his non-stop basketball from the NBA and his Chinese team. lots of time logged on to cause a foot injury.
They should have let Ralph heal completely.....he would have been fine if they did. The old days players played with stress fractures etc....it probably shortened the careers of some. DD
Yao doesn't depend on athleticism to be effective. You saw what he was doing recently while playing hurt. He was hardly jumping, but still scored and dominated the boards. Sampson ran around like he was a guard, and his biggest advantage was his athleticism for his height. When he got injured, he lost that.
