Houston Rockets: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

5. Ralph Sampson (C/PF) — No. 1 pick in 1983 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Rockets):  305 GP, 19.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 3.6 TOV, 49.9 FG%, 66.1 FT% 

At 7’4″ and blessed with the agility of players a foot shorter than him, Sampson seemed destined for an all-time career in the league. Prior to being taken No. 1 overall in 1983, Sampson had already appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated three times while playing at the University of Virginia.

Sampson’s rookie season saw the Rockets jump from 14 wins to 29 under head coach Bill Fitch. That season would be the first of four consecutive All-Star appearances for Sampson, who also managed to win Rookie of the Year honors by averaging 21.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

The following season saw the introduction of another premium frontcourt talent in Hakeem Olajuwon, forming a pairing known as the “Twin Towers.” In just Sampson’s third season, the Rockets made it all the way to the NBA Finals by upsetting the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals. The defining moment of the series was Sampson’s incredible twisting, game-winning shot to seal the series 4-1.

Unfortunately, like many big men before and after him, injuries took a toll on Sampson. Initially injuring his left knee during the 1986-87 season, Sampson was not patient enough during the rehabilitation process. As a result, his knee only got worse, and his game suffered immensely as a result. As Sampson said himself:

"“I should have been out for a year but came back after eight weeks because I wanted to play the game of basketball and the sport that I love. I probably came back a little too early, but we had a chance to go back to the Finals with the team we had, and I wanted to go back with my teammates.”"

The following season, Sampson was traded to the Golden State Warriors, but it soon became evident that Sampson was simply not the same, with his back also caving in as the demands on his body simply became too much.

As a result, Sampson was out of the league at age 31, after also completing pitstops with the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Bullets.