Sampson was never in yao's league at all period. By the end of this year everyone saying otherwise will be owned once I bump this thread back up. Sampson was a taller, less talented, KG with 1/10 the heart. Yao is already more dominant than KG was at his peak. End of discussion there. And while everyone is bragging on Sampson and his "peak" and who saw who play and so forth......... Yeah Yao would have absolutely killed the frontline of those lakers teams and Celtics teams, and if you think Sampson killed those frontlines then it is YOU who absolutely either did not watch those series, or are suffering from impaired memory.
Um, you didn't answer the question. Considering you juvenile behavior, I'm just about positive. So I'll ask the question again: Were you ever around when Ralph played? Because if you were, you'd at least realize it was a push at this stage of Yao's career. Any other assumption is pretty r****ded.
Yeah I saw him having great trouble guarding an ancient Kareem and getting schooled by the Celts front line.
So now I am immature and didn't see him play because I am stating facts like Sampson was soft............... Hakeem was the reason that team made the finals PERIOD Quit using revisionist history. Sampson could not guard an ancient Kareem and his softness was totally exposed by the Celtics. Arguing that is arguing the fact of what happened, and to do so then say anyone stating such "didn't see the games", now THAT is immature, turning around and then brandishing the immature and juvenile tag after doing so is well, let's just say Iam surprised some of you haven't started with the yeah huh, so there, cuz I said so talk yet.
We don't need to, although we certainly could. You're too busy making yourself the fool. How Yao does this season, and I expect him to dominate, if healthy, has no bearing on what we were discussing. What you are saying, however, has a bearing on your credibility, in my opinion, and I would say your statement here proves something. You don't have any.
Here is a clueless, absolutely wrong statement. I loved Akeem more then anybody, but NO ONE on this planet believed Akeem was the only reason the Rox made the finals that year. If this was the case, why did it take Hakeem almost 8 more years to get back to the finals? Akeem in those years was pretty damn good, but he was NOT, at that stage of his career, the player to take you all the way by himself. As evident to his 8 years between finals runs. As a matter of Fact, the Rockets with Hakeem and a limited Ralph made it past the first round of the playoffs the next year, and only once until their title run made it to the second round in those 7 years. It was a collection of first round losses for a Hakeem led team. Saying Hakeem carried them that year is a bit overstepping the bounds. And its obvious to me that you never watched Ralph on a regular basis. Im not claiming Ralph or Yao, but you truely are clueless.
why are you guys bothering? Rockets Dynasty is a CreepyFloyd alter ego and is just here to yank chains with fantastic stories.
At this point It's a wash. Unfourtunately Ralph couldn't overcome his injuries, and we are just begining to see what Yao can become. Yao can overtake him if he continues to improve which i feel he eventualy will. Its a shame that ralph was never able to overcome his injuries, because he was truly a Beast.
you know Hakeem said that Ralph would dominate in the NBA today right? he said " He would shoot over all of dem all day". i guess you would trust HAKEEM's opinion on Centers. use that TIVO thing on ESPN Classic or NBA TV, they show that Ralph Sampson special.
Yao hands down... Ralph was a disappointment offensively....his game was not as polished as Yao's. Ralph was really fun to watch because he was a better athlete and quicker than Yao. I can't imagine Yao doing an alley-oop like Sampson and Lucas/Rodney McCray were doing in the 80's.
Yao will probably end up as the best player to ever play the game of basketball. Yao all the way. Recognize!
If not for playing with the guy that ended up being the greatest center of all time,Ralph would have been manning the center position for 10 -15 years.I'd like to think Sampson wouldn't have had such problems with his knees if he wasn't forced into playing the 4....and point forward. Ralph toned down his game at Virginia and he did it in the pros.Sampson could have put up mammoth numbers,but that's not what he was about....it was the W.Those 3 years of 20 and 10 could have been bigger and almost assuredly would have been followed by a dramatic increase. Ralph gets such a bad rap...he helped Dream develop,gave up the strengths of his game so it could happen....and ultimately his career. Along with Len Bias,Ralph is definitely a case of what could have been.Anyone who watched him play knows this.
Yeah this thread really is silly. Yao GETS BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR. Heck I think we can all see he is ALREADY better THIS year than he was at the end of last year. It's amazing but even Rockets fans are failing to comprehend just how unbelievably good Yao is going to be.
I'm waiting for Yao to make a LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE. How I can say Yao is better than Ralph when Yao has not done anything LEGENDARY?
It always seemed to me that Ralph's career spiraled down after hitting his head during a behind the back dunk. But it may have been a coincidence. Personally I believe that the talent today is far greater than it was twenty years ago, so for that reason I give Yao and edge on Ralph. I think if Yao played during Ralph's time he would have been absolutely dominant. And of course Hakeem was the best Rocket of all time.
