Wasn't there shoe shine or something on the floor that made him slip? I remember hearing something like that when I was a kid.
It is really sad that Sampson never lived up to his NBA potential. He was the forerunner of players like Nowitzki and KG. A big guy who could run the court and with multiple dimensions on offense. He was ahead of his time. Anyone who was too young or doesn't remember what he could do check out Sampson's Hall of Fame retrospective. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KRVJ-ttZb6o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Tinman nice post. I think most that actually play or really enjoy watching basketball regard Sampson as one of the best ever. It was such an obvious drop off towards the end of the 87 season that they give him a pass. You can still watch 85- 86 rockets games on You Tube and you almost feel sorry for the opposing teams having to deal with Dream and Ralph. It was really fun watching both of them play together (even though it was short lived).
It's a shame if that's the case. Then really you have to put some blame on the training staff and doctors. If they knee he was compensating and that could lead to knee problems, wow - that's horrific.
He should have rested and recovered fully before he played. Over-compensating due to injuries leads to more injuries. He would have a longer career if it happened now. Twin Towers = total dominance. I miss the old days...
some people didn't like his game because he was so tall yet rarely banged inside. i guess he was just ahead of his time. look at guys like LaMarcus Aldridge who mostly plays the perimeter. maybe Pau Gasol is also somewhat similar in that he gets flak for playing "soft' even though he does impact the game in a big way.
He couldn't bang inside like a big man because he was a guard in a center's frame with a small forward's build. As skinny as he was coming out of college at 7'4" and 230 or so, he was a toothpick coming out of high school. He only weighed around 200 pounds. He had to bulk up to 230-235 pounds in college and the pros. I remember reading that in his first game against pro's, Artis Gilmore was pushing him around like he was on roller skates. Yeah, it's Artis Gilmore, but damn ... Quick trivia question .. without looking it up, who can tell me who the most sought-after big man coming out of high school was the year Sampson came out of high school? Hint : it wasn't Sampson. I think I'm remembering this right. lol.
Yeah. They both were putting up video game stats in high school from what I recall reading about that recruiting class. Some people had Sampson ranked higher, some Bowie, but for the most part, Bowie was the guy everybody thought would be better. Now he's just known as the guy who was drafted ahead of Jordan and was injury-plagued. He was a hell of a center, though, and could've also been among the greats if it wasn't for injury problems.
So weird of a player he was. He was doomed - his legs were always bad - apparently they broke like twigs. Man didn't eat enough calcium or something. the warning signs were there. Honestly, you have to be very careful drafting guys who are super tall. You look at the history of 7 footers - Yao, Bowie, Walton, Bradley, Sampson - not very good health wise. It's a wonder guys like Shaq lasted so long.
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