Ralph Sampson turned 50 today <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XGj4W9V-wCk&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XGj4W9V-wCk&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
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50 for 50 ... what a major thrill to see the Rockets land two top #1 picks in back-to-back years and get Ralph and Dream. 'Stick' was incredible running the floor... really played like a guard. Good and bad of course. You go back and watch some of his Rockets highlights from 83-88 and it's amazing some of the things he could do. It's a shame he was cut short by injuries.
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What gets me about that shot is that a lot of people make it look like the Rockets were just barely hanging on and were incredibly lucky to win the series on a fluke shot... nobody ever mentions it was Game 5 and the Rockets were up 3 games to 1. That was a dynasty in the making but the cruel mistresses of injuries and drugs robbed us.
Wow, 50. That's hard to believe, but I guess that much time has actually gone by... I wonder how many folks even remember that "Stick" was his nickname? I remember Gene Peterson calling him that all the time, but what I don't remember is whether the nickname was assigned by Peterson or he got it elsewhere...(?) I got to watch Sampson play in his first year with the Rockets and actually had season tickets (my one year to have them) the second year he and Olajuwon played together -- back at The Summit. Happy Birthday, Ralph. I loved watching you play (especially with The Dream).
Absolutely. AND the Rockets were shorthanded when they handily beat the Lakers, on the Lakers home floor that particular game. AND it wasnt like the Lakers were falling into decline when they got beat. Lakers won the NEXT 2 consecutive titles. And overall Lakers played in 4 the next 5 Finals. Safe to say IF the Rockets held their core together, there could have been at least 1 more championship trophy in Houston. It was probably all that team fallout that MADE Hakeem go back to Islam Happy Birthday, Ralph Lee Sampson, Jr. the II
