In my incoherent way I offered the inchoate argument that Ralph hit the crossroads and took the wrong road back in the day while CurryBynum each had (tangentially) similar crossroads in recent times and one took the Zen way and the other took the zilch way. One is ASG possible the other couldn't buy a ticket to get in.
We can have different look-sees at the same guys. I'm on one side, you (and Tinman) the other. Bottom line: Chuck Hayes > Granny Waiters.
i care about the glory of the houston rockets cause stats and all that crap that fans care about nobody remembers. they just know about the glory. the sampson twin tower rockets will be remembered forever for taking down the lakers and playing the celtics in the finals. fine you are disappointed his career didn't blossom, neither did bo jackson. but when someone talks about ralph sampson to me, i'll be proud LIKE HAKEEM IS PROUD (NBA special on Sampson, Dream talked about how badass the twin towers were) about what he did for us. Sampson over Kareem is forever <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i7rsqsNf4SE&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/i7rsqsNf4SE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
A superfine moment, deeply embedded in my fandom-edness. Maybe if my expectations for Ralph had been sized like David instead of Goliath I would be fonder of the guy. After all, Scott the Body and Novak each hit game winners (way way smaller stakes) for which I still smile and I hold no lack of love, feel no disappointment in, for those two.
You really HATE RALPH SAMPSON dude. If you can even mention Steve Novak's shot with NBA Playoff's #11 greatest moment of all time.
Is it wrong that I *love* watching Dream's cheap-shot coldcocking of The Whopper so much? (near the 7:00 mark) And I really love that he got away with it.
Let's just say I don't send the man any Christmas cards. I love my Rox when they're my Rox, but when they leave I pick'n'choose. Sammy YES, Kenny NO, for example.
you are basically jealous. Kenny became an emmy award winning NBA analyst who ALWAYS talks about the championship Rockets. You hated Ralph Sampson for having a career that ended because of injuries? The Rocket gods are not smiling at you dude, you look like Mitch Kupchack to them.
We're all obviously Rockets fans and can have honest disagreements without getting into too big a fuss about it. DoD is another guy who liked Ralph, but has said many times that he drove him crazy. I've argued with him over Sampson more than once, but in a good natured way. At some point you just agree to disagree, even if you know the other fellow is wrong! Peace and love (more or less... !) amongst long time fans of the greatest team of the Jewel of the Gulf Coast!
Bottom line is we were a great wing man (ala Clyde Drexler instead of SOLID Rodney McCray) from totally dominating in the earlier years.
I felt Kenny Smith was the gonadless Point of the great teams. His TNT etc work is not part of the equation. Clyde hasn;t been much of an ex-Rock but he is definitely one of my favs for what he did on Rockets' hardwood. It was not Ralph's injuries which did him in to me, it was Ralph. I can live with injuries (when one doesn't deal with them the way McG has, at least). It is the approach with which Sampson played the game of basketball. He was all size and talent and no head or heart. That is my opinion. Fact: I am a Rockets first, second, and third fan. No Rox gods are frowning on me for how I deify or dedeify my individual Rockets. Hakeem and ao - yes. Ralph and Joe Barry Apathy - no.
huh? he was the starting pg of two nba championship teams. he wasn't a turnover or 24 second violation like steve francis. he's the best 3 point shooter in Rockets history. what gonadless person who dropped 27 points on John Stockton in the Western Conference finals game 1? then he dropped 32 on them in game 2 in 95? Kenny Smith is a Rocket hero. period.
Hey, Deckard and tinman - you two are of one mind and I am of another re: Ralph Sampson. Certainly there are others who have around RocketsBasketball long enough to weigh in. I wonder - am I the minority opinion, or is it you guys? So, how 'bout it, older timers on the BBS, thumbs up - or down on Ralph Sampson?
Put me in with Deckard and tinman. I'll admit that unlike Dream, Ralph didn't always play the way you hoped he would -- sometimes he wasn't as mentally strong as you hoped he'd be or didn't dominate the way you knew he could. But the talent overwhelmed everything, and I never questioned Ralph's heart. The man cared and wanted to win as much as anyone. He was very much like Yao, in fact. Except that he was only two inches shorter, but more agile than many SFs. Had injuries not shortened his career, I have no doubt we'd be looking at 5 or 6 banners instead of 2. And he'd have pushed that undeserving Robert Parrish off the best 50 list. Kenny? Not always perfect, but when he was hot from 3, he could carry the team. And he had the one thing that defines true Rockets heroes: He had a habit of stepping up big in the most critical games.
Well, so much for peace and love. John R. Wooden Award Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award Trophy presented to “The Outstanding College Basketball Player in the United States,” is given to the player who receives the most points in the annual balloting. A candidate’s performance in the regular season, conference tournaments and postseason are taken into account by voters, as is the player’s character. http://www.woodenaward.com/?page_id=2 Sampson is the only two-time winner of the award in its history, which is based not only on his performance, but on things like character and academic performance. Sampson could have easily left school early to earn millions, but chose to stay at Virginia and get his degree, earning three Naismith Awards as the National Player of the Year, as well as the two Wooden Awards. Sampson played in three NBA All-Star Games, 1984, 1985, and 1986. He was voted the 1985 All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player. Sampson's performance in the 1985 Game prompted Magic Johnson to say, "He really made me look good. All you've got to do is throw the ball high and anywhere near him, and he'll get it. A player that big and that graceful, who runs like he does, is really something. I wish he was on my team every game. We might never lose a game. http://armchairgm.wikia.com/Ralph_Sampson So Ralph stayed in college and earned his degree. He didn't have to. He won two John Wooden awards, the only player to do so. Three Naismith Awards as the National Player of the Year. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times. Played in the All Star Game 3 times, being selected as an All Star 4 times in total. Won MVP at the All Star game. No less than Magic Johnson said of Ralph, "I wish he was on my team every game. We might never lose a game." And you say, "He was all size and talent and no head or heart." Give me a break. Do you honestly think he sleep-walked while earning those honors? The biggest problem Sampson had were injuries. Injuries and people not being willing to give the man the same time needed to reach his potential as Akeem Olajuwon was given. If the Dream had had the same injuries just as early in his career, with the same impact on his game, I suppose you would be tossing the same slams decades later. At him. And you lump the guy with Joe Barry Carroll. What happened? Did Ralph key your car back in the day?
Ouch, peace and love. Peace and love. Ralph stayed for his last year because the NBA draft position was not to be known until after players had to commit. The top three picks were Lakers, Clippers and Jazz (or was it Jazz and Clips?). Ralph wanted assurances he'd be a Laker, and when they did not forthcome he opted to stay an extra year rather than be a Clip. Jazz drafted 'Nique and traded him to Hawks for John ('What are my stats?') Drew. Lakers, with the first pick, selected Worthy. Maybe his injuries have overwhelmed my recollections, but I think not. I was (almost) always frustrated because he just had to be a 3. Or even a 2. But what he was was unmatchupable against 4s or 5s. After Sicting and he fought in the Finals I believe part oif Sampson was gone (the way something of Nick the Brick was lost forever after the 0-4 FTs in Game 1 '95). And lumping Sampson and Carroll is wrong? That's the one giant hole in your arguments IMHO. Peace and love. Go Rox!
OK, 3 - 1. Any others on either side of this - who were around 'back in the day'? Anyone on my side or am I on an island here?
How many 7-footers have you seen who can grab a defensive rebound and then run a one-man fast break from coast to coast?
