I always said, just like the 3D0, ralph was ahead of his time. Cam anyone imagine what a guy like that would do today or would be allowed to do? Those injuries really killed what was a promising career.
LOL! I know it seems like it's always a backhanded compliment when it comes to me and Ralph, but watching the guy was frustrating at times. I just think while the board does acknowledge the greatness of some of our older players, they tend to skew reality sometimes in favor of nostalgia. I wish I could find more video or quotes about Ralph from back then, but the quotes below were taken from SI articles. Everything in quote tags came from the articles : http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126879/index.htm http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066948/index.htm http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122787/index.htm http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121655/1/index.htm http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120984/index.htm Ralph in the post was a thing of beauty unless somebody put a body on him. Once somebody with strength put a body on him, it would be over - he was on skates. He was always trying to bulk up to hold his own in the paint. This was one reason people came up with the opinion he was soft - he lacked the leverage/strength to hold his own against the bruisers of the day who often outweighed him 15-30+ pounds. The other thing that makes me chuckle is how everyone unanimously loves Ralph on the board and it's like he could do no wrong. Consider the following quotes and they'll tell you what I remember - fans loved and hated Ralph as he appeared and disappeared in games. He wasn't universally loved when he left our city for this reason : From his rookie season : The Ralph I remember is a different Ralph from what you guys remember. Ralph no doubt was one of the most gifted big men to play the game, but at times he'd do so at the expense of the offense. : He and Fitch really didn't get along from what I remember and maybe his wanting to do his own thing played a role in that - I honestly don't recall. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Ralph at all. He is truly a legend in Rockets history and a sad case of "what could have been", but I just remember a different Ralph from what people here remember outside of his incredible talents. I've never said this, but I think Ralph had as much, if not more, exceptional ability than Hakeem did. Hakeem was an athletic freak who worked to become a complete basketball player. Ralph was a basketball freak from the moment he stepped on the court, but for one Tower the stars eventually aligned while for the other they flickered out quickly.
Quick question for tinman or anybody who wants answer. Did Sampson have a major injury or was it a series of injuries that put his career in a downward spiral? I could investigate it but you've been a fan longer than I have so i'd like your point of view on it.
Unlike today, even though people blame the medical staff on things, back then you play unless you can't walk. I'm guessing if Sampson and even Larry Bird had the modern medical staff of the nba, their careers would have been longer. For sure Sampson. No way he should have played period after that injury. side note: the Rockets have been down this path before, that's probably why they are taking no risks with Yao. http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4062974 What the Rockets also didn't know was the first crack in their foundation had appeared when Sampson was undercut while going for a rebound at Boston Garden on March 24. There was a sickening thud when his head cracked against the parquet floor. However, the real damage was done to his back and left hip. Big man hobbled Sampson sat out for the first time in his career, missing three games and coming back with a limp. When he began to overcompensate for the pain in his hip, it led to the start of knee problems that would require three operations and cut short his career as an All-Star player. For the final six weeks of the regular season, Fitch closed practice to the media to keep a lid on the extent of the injury. "It was hard thing to see," Fitch said. "A lot of days, he could barely run, and he couldn't do anything to stop Dream defensively." "I was never the same from the time I went down in Boston," Sampson said. "It was like I couldn't play my game."
It's ironic to think of it, but history probably would have been a whole lot better for Ralph and the Rockets if he hadn't hit that shot and won the Lakers series. Then the fall would have never occurred in the finals with Boston, and he might not have had all of the injuries as a result.
Up to this day, i can not understand why that specific fall were he bumped his head on the floor made him deteriorate? A lot of players hit their heads on the floor but come back strong or like nothing ever happened. With Ralph, It was like quick sand, he kept sinking until the Rockets traded him to Golden State. Even his stint with the Warriors was forgettable.
I think it was more psychological. Sure, He had to suffer the pain and agony of the fall but after He was not as aggressive going to the basket like before. I believe He lost confidence in himself which led to his down fall.
This is pretty unfair. In fact, I don't even see anything exceptional about those post entry passes. The only real difference is that those Rockets were passing the ball into athletic specimens with great hands while our current Rockets have been attempting to feed a slug with the reaction time of a stumbling drunk and the hands of Kelvin Cato.
You have to admit the fundamentals are pretty different now. No argument about Yao being challenged on the receiving end, though. Awesome post, DoD. My argument with you is more over "what might have been" had Ralph received decent medical care (I don't think he did, even by the standards of the day), and that he was still developing, adapting not only to the NBA, after near total dominance in college, but to a new position when struck down by injury. The quote you give from his rookie year is explained by, IMO, Sampson being a rookie. The quotes from later are in large number after he'd been hurt, something that the Rockets went to great lengths to hide. Otherwise, I certainly wouldn't argue about many of the crazy things he did on the court, crazy for a huge guy who was born in the wrong era, and for sure outside of Fitch's desires in the offense. I forgave Ralph his sometimes craziness because he could be so damn brilliant.
Yeah, I post in the GARM. Seldomly. I stay away because with so many problems we have now, we get into individual player problem fights amongst ouselves (ClutchFans) instead of looking at the entire package. I don't post as often as I did before the influx of users. One of the fights I remember watching LIVE was the straight up punch to MICHAEL CAGE. Dream didn't back down from him, even though Michael's shoulders were bigger than basketballs. I loved how Hakeem stood up for himself and defended his teammates. Cage ended up with a bloody lip. That was funny, tb-cain . So, to al you older folks who watched the '81 and earlier-than-Dream team, was Billy Paultz with the Rockets before or after that altercation?
Hmmm thanks for the information tinman. Like somebody else said, how Sampson handled the ball on the break was better than most point gaurds do today in the game.... I could only imagine what could of been.... It would've been a dynasty..
Sampson was ahead of his time and the full strength Rockets team with the Twin Towers was the Rockets team that beat the LA Lakers (defending champions) in 5 games. Just think about how great those Lakers teams were. Kareem, Magic, James Worthy.. That team would just sweep the current Rockets every year with Yao and Tracy healthy. we wouldn't win a single game against that team. But the Twin Towers beat them in 5.
I know so much of this thread is about Ralph, a topic I really enjoy and not talked about here as often as he might deserve, but what stood out to me about that Lakers series was how Riles had to turn his entire defensive focus (and offense, really, when you think about it) on the Dream. The guy was in his second year and on a young, but outstanding, team and he completely disrupted the Laker game plan. There's a great shot during one of the games where Riley is talking to his team just before they go out on the court and he wipes off the blackboard and scribbles in big letters, "Contain Akeem!!!" It was beautiful!
Yes my dad has the original tape of game 5. Olajuwon's ejection, Sampson's miracle. I think the twin towers was better than the 1993-94 Rockets team. Just in my opinion.
What's "ironic" is you posting in this thread. I still remember the day the Rockets traded Ralph for you. It was a weird feeling when the Towers were done.
from that same article "It's one thing to have injuries," said McCray. "But when guys have drug problems, there's a different kind of feeling. It's a personal letdown. You feel for them. You want them to recover. But you sit back and reflect and say, `Why did they have to do that?' " Lack of focus Olajuwon agreed with McCray. "I believe we really had the potential to be a dynasty," he said. "There were a lot of championships there for us. But being a dynasty doesn't just come by accident. You have to stay focused on the goal, on and off the court." On Feb. 3, while trying to make a cut against Bill Hanzlik of Denver, Sampson slipped on a wet spot at the Summit and tore ligaments in his left knee. The injury required surgery and forced him to miss 39 games.
The Twin Towers were "Unbeatable" to borrow a line for Olaujuwon. In 30+ years of watching the Rox, etc. nothing compared to these guys. The athleticism was unmatachable and still is to this day. Obviously, the Championship teams are my favorite, but this team was by far the funnest to watch. Sweet Lew lived just a few streets away - in fact we knocked on his door door to see if he would coach our church team after he got suspended (he never answered). It's a damn shame that Coke destroyed our team. I'm quite convinced that if David Stern looked just a little harder than we wouldn't have been the only team that lost 1/4 of our team to drugs. (Lucas, Lloyd & Wiggins)
