Hakeem Olajuwon's reaction after Ralph Sampson eliminated Lakers in 1986 WCF

LIke is not a big enough button for this post.

DD

 

Harden (who I LIKE) would have already been at the strip club by then.

 

20 yrs old in Dan Patrick's with my best bud..bedlam...as pure as it gets. And, then...on to Fizz...

 

I was screaming even louder than that. Pounded my coffee table so hard I broke it.

 

Paolo knows whats up!

 

Never got to see this before, thanks

 

Man I miss dream. Played his best when it mattered most

 

Ralph is what many here wish Chet could be...Ralph was a true unicorn.

 

Sweet, how it is

 

Wow! I've never seen Ralph so never seen this before.

 

This is effing awesome

 

Neither have I.

 

An interesting comparison! Ralph's physique was a bit more "solid," though, in my opinion. He was 7'4" and weighed in at 228. Chet is 7' and maybe even a bit taller, but only 195. Sampson may have added a few pounds by the time this series was played. He was at the end of his 3rd season. Look at his legs here, for example, and then look at Chet's.

Ralph was amazing. He was Rookie of the Year and an All Star, of course, and then was MVP of the All Star Game in his 2nd year, and as I recall, the players didn't just "dial it in" that year. If only he hadn't been injured, or if he'd had the medical care available today. Personally, I think the latter would have made a big difference.

Sampson is the classic, "if only!"

 

Already battling GOAT Lakers/Celtics teams only just a few years into their professional careers, damn I wish Sampson had been healthy and the supporting cast didn't get busted with drugs.

 

So true. That Lakers team Sampson's incredible shot eliminated in the WC Finals were the defending champions and heavily favored. The Rockets were declared the "future dynasty" of the NBA by the national sports media, like Sports Illustrated, for example, back when the sports magazines were a huge deal. That they beat the Lakers and went on to play the Celtics was a shocker and definitely ahead of Houston's expected time frame for greatness.

Then drugs, coke in particular, blew it all up. John Lucas was first in the middle of the '85-'86 season , although his problem was also alcohol, and then Mitch Wiggins and Lew Llyod were tossed permanently by the league for coke. Still, if Sampson had stayed healthy, the Rockets could have continued to build around them. Instead, Olajuwon was left to carry a much weakened Rockets team for years, food for early exits in the playoffs. It was a real bummer to watch and extremely frustrating for all involved, including Dream.

 

I have a slight recollection of that game. Okay, a wee more than slight. Thanks for sharing!

 

This is one of those double-edged swords. This play is an example of what irritated fans and coaches. Pass to the guard to bring it up? Nah, screw the point guard (former Rocket legend, Lionel Hollins), imma take it myself! Half the time it would end up in some errant pass or turnover. lol. But Ralph was like Chet++ in many ways.

 

Andrew Wiggins' dad seems high as a kite in that video! *wink* He rarely showed any emotion.

 

There was a time Sampson was considered the better player than Hakeem, and that's not slight to Hakeem.