As I recently watched the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Induction ceremony someone stood out to me.....literally! At 7'4" tall, Ralph Sampson has stood out for the majority of his life and while standing on the stage with other very large athletes he still does.
With a room full of legendary names and past inductees I couldn't help but think that the salaries of those present summed more than numerous industrious countries' gross domestic product, especially with the present of Nike CEO and co-founder, Phil Knight, who was a 2012 HOF inductee alongside Sampson.
Money aside, I also couldn't help but be curious about Ralph Sampson and his post-athletic career. His athletic career was one of great legend as the highest touted high school and collegiate player of his time. His professional career was impacting, especially side-by-side to Akeem Olajuwan in Houston (imagine those two standing on either side of the paint on both ends of the court). Though perhaps shortlived, Sampson playing career was better than average as indicated by his 2012 HOF induction.
But what the heck has he been doing for the past 17 years since his last official professional playing day?
Following his eight years in the NBA from 1983 through 1991, which included stints with Houston, Golden State, Sacramento, and Washington, Sampson played eight games in Spain in 1992 and with the CBA's Rockford Lightning during the 1994-1995 season.
It doesn't take a prolific mathematician to look at the twilight of his career to understand he spent four years following his final NBA game trying to make a playing comeback to basketball. Imagine that, a three-time College Player of the Year and #1 NBA Draft pick spending the final season of his professional career playing in the Continental Basketball Association....three years after his final NBA game.
Having played and now working with former professional athletes I completely understand the emotional and physical rollercoaster involved with letting go of something you've totally excelled at for the majority of your life only to come to an eventual reality that it's over. And the higher you've gone the more the fall from the notariety, money, and prestige associated with playing. Ralph Sampson was not immune to this fall facing injuries, emotional, and legal trouble following his career.
Disappointed to learn, but not surprised as 100% of professional athletes ultimately face job termination....this is an undeniable fact and the exit stats of bankruptcy, divorce rates, and loss of purpose are common even for Hall of Fame inductees.
Though, Ralph Sampson's professional career may not have been as vast as hoped and the past 17 years of this 7'4" man's life may have not been hall of fame material Sampson's basketball credentials have taken him down a path many dream.....the Basketball Hall of Fame where he's still standing above the rest.
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