Ralph Sampson: High School Prospect from Harrisonburg (1979, NBC Sports)

[@craigsiller5190]

The greatest high-school class of all time.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Ralph is one of the best people ever in the game. The fact that he was never the great center he was projected to be is outweighed by the fact that he is good person!

[@hectorlopez1069]

It's sad his career came to an end because of knee problems. He was getting really good with the Rockets.

[@trollbrochina]

79 McDonalds all American was such a tragedy. Too many great players had fallen to the injuries. Not just Ralph Sampson, Sam Bowie, Clark Kellogg, and Steve Stipanovich were also from the same class.

[@vinnyconsolini488]

70 kids from one class in one state playing basketball at 6'10" or taller?! That's absolutely insane.

[@christophercox-ym2tv]

He was never the same after he took that bast spill in the finals against boston

[@hectorlopez1069]

He was playing badass with the dream.

[@grawakendream8980]

the wembanyama of the early 80s

[@gl6996]

Wembanyama is the Ralph Sampson of the 2020s. Fixed.

[@lwmson]

He would go on to college at U-VA and become a phenomenon. He was the best player in college basketball during the early 80's and that would say a lot considering he played in the same era as Pat Ewing, Len Bias, Sam Bowie, and even Michael Jordan. It was a shame that injuries befell him in the NBA.

[@cooper482011]

Best big man with handles🏀

[@tenfourproductionsllc]

2:17 - that hairstyle was awesome.. Too bad these really tall players suffer from problems from the knees down quite too often.

[@thomasbridges7323]

Yeah he played ball well 👏 he played the best he could

[@CapeFear1]

Ralph should have signed with North Carolina where he would have teamed up with Al Wood and James Worthy instead of playing with bums like Craig Robinson, Tim Mullin, Edelin etc in the frontcourt. Sampson with Worthy and Wood at UNC would have been literally unbeatable.

[@trollbrochina]

And a young Michael Jordan on the back court.

[@areguapiri]

Ralph still had a great college career.

[@CapeFear1]

@@areguapiri I agree.

[@kendallbledsoe6548]

​@@trollbrochina In 79 Mike was still in High School. Mike Didn't get to NC until 82

[@Belburg]

Him and Sam Bowie would've been nice.

[@broncobilly4029]

When I was a kid growing up in the early 80s, the best college players that everyone talked about were Ralph Sampson (not Michael Jordan) and Herschel Walker (not Bo Jackson).

[@Bighjr88]

Say it again. I tell people, Herschel was better than Bo and that's unbelievable.

[@areguapiri]

Hershel is arguably the greatest college running back ever.

[@hershelfowler6257]

Geez,Valerie Sampson was a cutie.

[@ckobo84]

I wonder if anyone ever said to him: "what's the weather like up there?" 😂

[@louisco6345]

He was a standout!

[@darrylnelson05]

Lefty wanted Sampson and Bowie to be his twin towers at Maryland.

[@ericwright2594]

that would have been awesome

[@genesmiley9866]

Taken from a 1979 NCAA tournament game on my channel but that's okay, I salvaged this from a thrift store tape and the more it gets seen the better.

[@leoleoleo688]

The most gifted 7 ft of all time with Wilt Chamberlain.

[@aleksthegreat4130]

Sabonis,Wemba

[@riverrat3101]

lew alcindor, aka kareem, wishes you a good day.

[@darylwoodard1054]

Of his generation, possibly. I think Sam Bowie was about his equal.

[@oluhamilton2121]

Wemby B4 Wemby

[@Majesticon]

I wonder how much Sampson and bowie could have benefited from modern medicine and training facilities? Injuries really robbed those guys

[@carseye1219]

Can you even imagine, in today's world, players the caliber of Sampson and Ewing, playing all 4 years. Oh yeah, with the way things are now, I should have added: "At the same school". We might see more players playing multiple years now, but not because of running off to the league but their second or third school will pony up more NIL money.

[@derrickez]

What's wrong with that. NIL had to happen. Do you know how many D1 schools have had recruiting violations because someone is trying to pay the players. All of that seedy shit is gone now. Players go to the school that is best for them and their pockets. This is America.

[@carseye1219]

@@derrickez So being "America" means being as mercenary as sh*t.

[@gaffle-411]

FOr that height, his arms look a little short...