What if there had been no Big 3?

What if there had been no Big 3? What if it had been Larry Bird and...Ralph Sampson?

This article is somewhat lengthy, so I don't want to cut-and-paste the whole thing, but I did post the link and I am posting some snippets.

It's an interesting story. You know how Danny and other GMs are in an "arms race" against Miami and (until the Harden trade) OKC, trying to morph into teams of greyhounds instead of having big, lumbering smashmouth frontcourts? Well, this article suggests that the same thing happened around the league in the '80s because of the teaming of Hakeem "The Dream" and Ralph Sampson and their playoff struggles against the Boston Celtics Big 3.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8600657/an-oral-history-hakeem-olajuwon-ralph-sampson-1980s-houston-rockets



After Sampson averaged 14.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks his
freshman season, Boston Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach tried to convince
him to enter the 1980 NBA draft. The Celtics, a 61-win team in the
previous season, featured a transcendent rookie forward named Larry Bird
and owned the first overall pick. Sampson remembers it well. "Auerbach
came to my house and said, 'You can come and play for the mighty Boston
Celtics.' I gave it a thought. Ralph Sampson coming to Boston — there
might not have been a Kevin McHale there or Robert Parish."

When Sampson stunned basketball by staying in school, Auerbach traded that pick and the 13th selection to Golden State for
Parish and the third overall pick (which would become McHale), creating
the "Big Three" that would eventually win three NBA titles over the next
six seasons. Sampson stayed all four years at Virginia, leaving
valuable earning years on the table (and never playing in an NCAA
championship game), but winning three Naismith Awards and finishing as
one of college basketball's greatest centers ever.



bob


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Thanks Bob what a great article. That Houston team was really good and as they mention poised to contend for years, but drugs got them that year (Lucas) and a couple more guys the next year.

Loved watching Walton take down Ralphie and Sichting flying in to get at him. What a series!

Bob,

I believe it was the other white guy on the team, Scott Wedman, who took Sampson down



bob



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I'm shocked after reading this that the team and the individuals, Lloyd and Wiggins didn't do more to fight this somehow legally in court. Team should have fought for their players. They totally got screwed over by Stern, if it really was their first offense, how could they get a lifetime ban? doesn't make any sense that other players got warnings or much lighter suspensions