Ralph Sampson: The BIGGEST What If in NBA History | FPP

One of the most popular new players in the modern NBA is Victor Wembanyama. Everyone is raving about how unique and generational he is, and while those things are true, he's not the first of his kind; as 40 years ago there was another 7'4" basketball anomaly named Ralph Sampson. Sampson could do everything a guard could do, but towered over everyone the court he was mobile and athletic, he could step out and hit the mid range shot; he was a great leaper and his length and athleticism allowed him to be a great defender and shot blocker. He was a legend at Harrisonburg high school and followed that up with an incredible 4 years at the University of Virginia, which saw him win 3 straight National Player of the Year awards. He was the consensus number 1 overall pick for three years, and when he finally entered the 1983 NBA draft; the Houston Rockets were the lucky winners that would get his services. He put together a rookie of the year season, before the Rockets drafted Hakeem Olajuwon the next year to form their "Twin Towers" duo. By their second year together, they would reach the NBA Finals, and even though Olajuwon was asserting himself as the better player of the two, it looked like they were on their way to dynasty status. But the next season, Sampson would suffer his first knee injury, and would never be the same player again, as the Rockets would soon move on from him and send him Golden State. And if he would have been healthy he would have been perfect for alongside Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond in Don Nelson's Run N Gun offense; but he broke down quickly and didn't look like himself at all. He would bounce around a couple more teams before his career came to an end after 9 seasons. Even at his peak, he never quite met his incredible expectations; but when you think about how impressed people are by Wembanyama's size and skillset today, just imagine that 40 years ago...

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