This past year, there has been a lot of buzz in the basketball world centered on Victor Wembanyama, the 7’4″ rookie for the San Antonio Spurs. Unlike most ultra-tall players, “Wemby” is tremendously agile and well-coordinated. He passes, he moves in ways that don’t seem possible for someone his size, he shoots, and of course he blocks other people’s shots. A generational talent who as yet looks to be as good as advertised. There is quite a bit of “we’ve never seen a player like this” sentiment, not unwarranted. And yet…
Forty years ago, another 7’4″ prodigy with an astonishing finesse skill set entered the league. Ralph Sampson, a three-time national player of the year at the University of Virginia, was selected #1 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 1983 NBA Draft. Sampson, as seems to be the case with Wembanyama so far, was no mirage: he won Rookie of the Year and was a regular All-Star selection.
He teamed with a young Hakeem Olajuwon to very nearly win the Rockets a championship in 1986. Suiting up alongside a more traditional center in the 7’0″ Olajuwon allowed Sampson to play at times as a forward, facing the basket to shoot or drive, typically the territory of far-shorter players.
Unfortunately, injuries began to affect Sampson from the late eighties, and the 1991-92 NBA season would be his last. Although in a certain light he does represent a what-if, and one cannot help but wonder what he may have accomplished given a long, healthy career, it is worth recognizing that he more than established himself as a legitimately great basketball player. If Wemby is the future, he is walking in Sampson’s footsteps.
Have a skyscraping good night 🏀