Ralph Sampson
Sampson in 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | July 7, 1960 Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Harrisonburg (Harrisonburg, Virginia) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Virginia (1979–1983) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1983: 1st round, 1st overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1983–1995 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Center / power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 50 | ||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1992–2013 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||||||||
| 1983–1987 | Houston Rockets | ||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Golden State Warriors | ||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Sacramento Kings | ||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Washington Bullets | ||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Unicaja Ronda | ||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Rockford Lightning | ||||||||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | James Madison (assistant) | ||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Richmond Rhythm | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 7,039 (15.4 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,011 (8.8 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
| Blocks | 752 (1.6 bpg) | ||||||||||||||
| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A 7-foot-4-inch (2.24 m) 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 (NBA).
The NBA Rookie of the Year, Sampson averaged 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds for his first three seasons with the Houston Rockets before injuries began to take their toll. Three knee surgeries later, after 12 seasons in professional basketball, he retired in 1995 as a four-time NBA All-Star and the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game.