Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He is a member of the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

. A phenom, three-time college national player of the year, and first overall selection in the 1983 NBA draft, Sampson brought heavy expectations with him to the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). The

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gott ...

, Sampson averaged 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds for his first three seasons with the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

before injuries began to take their toll. Three knee surgeries later he retired in 1995 as a four-time NBA All-Star and the

NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player The NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to de ...

(MVP) in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game.

Early life

Sampson was born in

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the 2 ...

to Sarah and Ralph Sampson, Sr. He was already tall by ninth grade, reaching in high school. He averaged nearly 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots as a senior (after averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds as a sophomore, and 19 points and 17 rebounds as a junior), at Harrisonburg High, leading the team to state AA basketball championships in 1978 and 1979. His senior year he lost the high school player of the year award to another talented center,

Sam Bowie Samuel Paul Bowie (born March 17, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A national sensation in high school and outstanding collegian and Olympic team member, Bowie's professional promise was undermined by repeated injuries ...

. However, he did get a form of revenge against Bowie, outplaying him in the Capital Classic, getting 23 points and 21 rebounds with 4 blocks in a game styled "Battle of the Giants".

College career

Sampson was arguably the most heavily recruited college basketball prospect of his generation and appeared on the cover of ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...

'' six times in a span of fewer than four years (December 17, 1979; December 1, 1980; March 30, 1981; November 29, 1982; December 20, 1982; and October 31, 1983). Playing center for the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, he led the Cavaliers to an NIT title in 1980, an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1981, and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 1983. He earned three Naismith Awards as the National Player of the Year, only the second athlete to do so ( Bill Walton was the first), and a pair of

Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

s. Sampson considered leaving Virginia after his junior year and declaring for the 1982 NBA draft. The San Diego Clippers and

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

would flip a coin to determine who would draft first overall, but the deadline for Sampson to make himself available came before the scheduled coin flip. Rather than risk playing for the Clippers (who ended up losing the toss), Sampson stayed in school.

Professional career

Houston Rockets (1983–1987)

With his size and agility Sampson was expected to score like Wilt Chamberlain and win championships like Bill Russell when he reached the

. The

picked him first overall in the 1983 NBA draft. As a rookie, he averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds, played in the All-Star Game, and won the

NBA Rookie of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Go ...

. The Rockets managed only a 29–53 record in 1983–84, which qualified them to pick first in the

1984 NBA draft The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally c ...

. Houston selected fellow center

Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets a ...

out of the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

. Many observers criticized the Rockets' choice, believing the two 7-footers (known as the Twin Towers) would not be effective playing together, while others thought the combination could be overpowering. Sampson, playing a new style of power forward, had new expectations placed upon him. At the time,

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

Coach

Dick Motta John Richard Motta (born September 3, 1931) is an American former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) spanned 25 years. Motta coached the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship, and he won the 1971 ...

said, "That front line, when history is written when they've grown up, might be the best-assembled on one team. Ever." Houston guard John Lucas said of Sampson's move to forward, "He'll revolutionize the game." In 1984–85 the Rockets improved by 19 games to 48–34 and made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Sampson had his best individual campaign, averaging 22.1 points and 10.4 rebounds and earning a berth on the All-NBA Second Team. He and Olajuwon both played in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, and Sampson, after scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, earned the game's MVP Award. On March 5, 1985, in a loss against the Denver Nuggets, Sampson recorded 30 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals and was the first player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals since the league started recording steals. The next season Houston won the Midwest Division with a 51–31 record. In the playoffs, the Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings, but faced a stiffer challenge against Alex English and the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Semi-Finals, eventually winning the series 4–2, with the sixth and deciding game going to double overtime. Against the defending champion Lakers in the Conference Finals, the Rockets were ready to knock off their rivals who had the best of them during the season. The Rockets lost game 1, but the Rockets fought back, winning four straight to take the series four games to one. In-Game 5 of that series, Sampson provided one of the most memorable moments in NBA Playoff history. With the score tied at 112, Olajuwon having earlier been ejected, and with only one second remaining on the clock, Sampson took an inbounds pass and launched a twisting turnaround jumper that sailed through the hoop at the buzzer, giving the Rockets a 114–112 victory and a shocking series upset. In the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...

, the Rockets faced the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. Boston sportswriters were not happy about not getting revenge against the Lakers who had beaten the Celtics in the Finals the year before, but the matchup was interesting with the young frontcourt challenging the old guard of the Celtics. During the season at the Boston Garden, the Rockets were playing the Celtics well until Sampson suffered a jarring fall on his back. At the start of the Finals, Sampson quickly found himself in foul trouble early in Game 1 as Boston easily went up 2-0 going back to Houston. The Rockets won a close Game 3 under the leadership of Sampson. Game 4 also went down to the wire with the Celtics pulling it out on late Larry Bird 3-pointer heroics and untimely turnovers by Rockets guard Mitch Wiggins. In a similarly close Game 5 in Houston (under the 2–3–2 format), Sampson succumbed to taunting by Boston's much smaller 6-foot-1 backup guard Jerry Sichting resulting in Sampson taking a swing and earning an ejection from the game. Strangely, this fired up the Rockets, who won Game 5 by 15 points without Ralph thanks to the inspired play of Olajuwon,

Jim Petersen James Richard Petersen (born February 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player, and a current television analyst with the Minnesota Timberwolves. From 2009 to 2017 he served as an assistant coach and later associate head coac ...

, and Robert "Bobby Jo" Reid. Game 6 went back to Boston with Sampson finding himself again in foul trouble and of little effect against the older and wiser Celtic frontcourt of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and

Robert Parish Robert Lee Parish (born August 30, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons as a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tied for second most in league history. He played an NBA-record 1,6 ...

. After the series, Boston coach KC Jones called the Rockets "the new monsters on the block", with the future looking very bright for the Rockets. During the six-game championship series loss against the Celtics, Sampson averaged 14.8 points on .438 shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Golden State Warriors (1987–1989)

Injured halfway into the 1987–88 season, Sampson fell out of favor with Rockets Coach Bill Fitch and was traded, along with guard Steve Harris, to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

for Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and

Joe Barry Carroll Joe Barry Carroll (born July 24, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from basketball, he became a wealth advisor, philanthropist, artist, a ...

. Sampson's knee and back troubles worsened, and he never played a full season in the remaining years of his NBA career.

Sacramento Kings (1989–1991)

Sampson averaged 6.4 points and 5.0 rebounds with Golden State in 1988–89 and was traded during the offseason to the Sacramento Kings for

. Sampson's injury issues continued in Sacramento as he totaled just 51 games in two seasons, averaging 4.2 and 3.0 points, respectively, in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Washington Bullets (1991–1992)

Released by the Kings, Sampson played a 10-game stint with the Washington Bullets in 1991–92 before being waived. He played 441 games in 10 NBA seasons, slightly more than half the 820 scheduled.

Unicaja Ronda (1992)

Sampson played eight games for Unicaja Ronda of the Spanish League during the 1991–92 season.

Rockford Lightning (1994–1995)

Sampson also would play for the Rockford Lightning in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball mi ...

during the 1994–95 season before ultimately retiring for good.

Coaching career

Returning to the United States, Sampson spent the 1992–93 season as an assistant to head coach

Lefty Driesell Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell (born December 25, 1931) is a retired American college basketball coach. He was the first coach to win more than 100 games at four different NCAA Division I schools, Driesell led the programs of Davidson College, t ...

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

before coaching a

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...

professional team in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, named the

Richmond Rhythm The Richmond Rhythm were a professional basketball team based in Richmond, Virginia from 1999 to 2001. The team played in the International Basketball League. They played their home games at Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth U ...

. In October 2012, Sampson joined the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

' player development staff. In June 2013, Sampson announced that he would not return as an assistant head coach.

Legacy

In 1996, Sampson was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was named to the

ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team During the 2002–03 school year, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) celebrated its 50th anniversary by selecting the top players in its respective sports. Fifty players were selected for the men's basketball team, which was voted on by a 120-memb ...

as one of the 50 greatest players in

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...

history and one of only three Virginia Cavaliers so honored. On November 22, 2011, Sampson was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. In February 2012, Sampson was honored by Houston Rockets and fans as a member of the Decade Team of the 1980s. On April 2, 2012, Sampson was named a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's induction class of 2012.

Personal life

Sampson has four children by his ex-wife. Their oldest son, Ralph III, played collegiate basketball for

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

. Their younger son,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

, transferred to

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

after playing his first three seasons (2010–2013) of college basketball for

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

. They have two daughters: Rachel, who graduated from Stanford University and worked at

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

, and Anna. Sampson has four other children by four women, including daughters named Leah and India. Reflecting on his career and its three knee surgeries, Sampson admitted that he had attempted to come back too quickly from them, and said that he tried not to think about what could have been.

Legal issues

In 2005, Sampson pleaded guilty to owing more than $300K in back child support for two children from different mothers in the Northern Virginia area. In 2006, he was sentenced to two months in prison for mail fraud associated with the purchase of an SUV.

Awards

* Naismith College Player of the Year (1981–1983) *

USBWA College Player of the Year The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...

(1981–1983) *

Adolph Rupp Trophy The Adolph F. Rupp Trophy was an award given annually to the top player in men's Division I NCAA basketball until 2015. The recipient of the award was selected by an independent panel consisting of national sportswriters, coaches, and sports admi ...

(1981–1983) * Associated Press Player of the Year (1981–1983) * UPI Player of the Year (1981–1983) * John R. Wooden Award (1982–1983) *

NABC Player of the Year The NABC Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top player in men's college basketball. The award has been given since the 1974–75 season to National Collegiate Athl ...

(1982–1983) * Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

presented by Awards Council member

Herschel Walker Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia. ...

(1982) * '' Sporting News'' Player of the Year (1983) * Co- Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year (1982) *

(1984) *

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...

(1984) * NBA All-Star Game MVP (1985) * NBA All-Star (1984–1987) *

All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

selection (1985) * National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2011) * Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2012)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

, 82 , , 82 , , 32.8 , , .523 , , .250 , , .661 , , 11.1 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , 2.4 , , 21.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 37.6 , , .502 , , .000 , , .676 , , 10.4 , , 2.7 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , , 22.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, , 79 , , 76 , , 36.3 , , .488 , , .133 , , .641 , , 11.1 , , 3.6 , , 1.3 , , 1.6 , , 18.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 43 , , 32 , , 30.8 , , .489 , , .000 , , .624 , , 8.7 , , 2.8 , , .9 , , 1.3 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 19 , , 19 , , 37.1 , , .439 , , .333 , , .741 , , 9.1 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , 1.7 , , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 29 , , 25 , , 33.0 , , .438 , , .000 , , .775 , , 10.0 , , 2.9 , , .8 , , 1.9 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 61 , , 36 , , 17.8 , , .449 , , .375 , , .653 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 26 , , 7 , , 16.0 , , .372 , , .250 , , .522 , , 3.2 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .8 , , 4.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 25 , , 4 , , 13.9 , , .366 , , .200 , , .263 , , 4.4 , , .7 , , .4 , , .7 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, 10 , , 0 , , 10.8 , , .310 , , .000 , , .667 , , 3.0 , , .4 , , .3 , , .8 , , 2.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 456 , , 363 , , 29.8 , , .486 , , .172 , , .661 , , 8.8 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , 1.6 , , 15.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 3 , , 2 , , 22.0 , , .636 , , , , .700 , , 6.3 , , .7 , , .0 , , .3 , , 16.3

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1985 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 38.6 , , .430 , , 1.000 , , .514 , , 16.6 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 1.6 , , 21.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 20 , , 37.1 , , .518 , , 1.000 , , .729 , , 10.8 , , 4.0 , , 1.5 , , 1.8 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1987 , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 33.0 , , .514 , , .500 , , .814 , , 8.8 , , 2.1 , , .2 , , 1.2 , , 18.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 3 , , 1 , , 14.3 , , .409 , , .000 , , .500 , , 4.7 , , .3 , , .3 , , .7 , , 6.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 38 , , 36 , , 34.4 , , .497 , , .375 , , .703 , , 10.5 , , 2.9 , , .9 , , 1.5 , , 18.7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1979–80 , style="text-align:left;",

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, 34 , , , , 29.9 , , .547 , , , , .702 , , 11.2 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 4.6 , , 14.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1980–81 , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 31 , , 32.0 , , .557 , , , , .631 , , 11.5 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , 3.1 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1981–82 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 31 , , 31.3 , , .561 , , , , .615 , , 11.4 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 3.1 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1982–83 , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 30.2 , , .604 , , , , .704 , , 11.7 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 3.1 , , 19.0

References

Bibliography

*University of Virginia Basketball Media Guide (PDF copy available a
www.virginiasports.com

External links

* * NBA Draft Profil
TheDraftReview.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sampson, Ralph 1960 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Baloncesto Málaga players Basketball coaches from Virginia Basketball players at the 1979 Pan American Games Basketball players from Virginia Centers (basketball) Golden State Warriors players Houston Rockets draft picks Houston Rockets players International Basketball League (1999–2001) coaches Liga ACB players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Association All-Stars National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Harrisonburg, Virginia Phoenix Suns assistant coaches Power forwards (basketball) Rockford Lightning players Sacramento Kings players Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball players Washington Bullets players