ESPN Classic !!!!

Thursdays, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN Classic
What Could Have Been

Vintage NBA returns for its third season on ESPN Classic in 2001.

Hosted again by ESPN's Robin Roberts, the show highlights an NBA legend and a moment in their career in a way that links the past to the present,

Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon teamed up to form Houston's "Twin Towers." (NBAE Photos)

featuring an "In the Chair" interview with an NBA star and showcasing popular culture -- fashion, footage and fads - from the legend's era.

The man who many predicted would be the most dominating of all NBA centers in the 1980's but whose career was cut short by injuries, Ralph Sampson, is the subject of this week's Vintage NBA. One half of the duo known as the "Twin Towers" Sampson teamed up with fellow Rockets big man Hakeem Olajuwon to form one of the most devastating frontcourts in the NBA.

Hakeem sits "In The Chair" to reflect on the promising beginning to Sampson's career when the two of them led Houston to the NBA Finals in 1986. Olajuwon credits Sampson in helping Hakeem establish himself as a great NBA pivot man and candidly admits how it easily could have been Ralph who had the potential Hall of Fame career, had it not been for debilitating knee injuries.

At 7'4" Ralph Sampson had not only immense size but an incredible repertoire of moves and abilities for a player of his height. After a standout career at the University of Virginia, many predicted that Ralph might one day be the greatest of all NBA centers. Displaying versatility and a vast array of athletic skills, he captured Rookie of the Year honors in 1984 as well as winning the All-Star Game MVP Award in 1985. Teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon, the two formed the "Twin Towers" in the middle of the Rockets lineup and appeared as if they would be part of one of the NBA's most dominating teams for years to come.

But shortly after leading Houston to the NBA Finals in 1986, Sampson began to suffer the many knee injuries that would plague him throughout the rest of his career. Bouncing first from Golden St. to Sacramento and finally Washington, Sampson was never able to recapture the skills that people had marveled at just a few years earlier.

In this week's "Airwave Archive," viewers can see Game 3 of the 1986 NBA Finals. The Rockets, behind a rejuvenated Ralph Sampson, try to avoid going down three games to none.
Video: 28.8+ | ISDN+

The top pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, Ralph Sampson appeared to be headed for stardom. But as host Robin Roberts points out, other number one picks have had trouble living up to expectations. LaRue Martin, Kent Benson and Joe Barry Carroll are just some of the big men who were selected number one and never quite reached the level of superstar. As for today's big men who display the wide variety of skills that Ralph Sampson did in his prime, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and former Twin Tower, Hakeem Olajuwon are cited.



------------------