15 players you forgot played for the Golden State Warriors
6. Ralph Sampson (1987-89)
Ralph Sampson was one of the most electric athletes to ever enter the NBA when he came out of Virginia to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 Draft to the Houston Rockets.
He proved to be well worth the hype by making four All-Star appearances right out of the gate with incredible averages of 19.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.0 steals a night.
By that fourth season, however, Sampson’s 7’3” frame would, unfortunately, succumb to the nagging injuries that have plagued the careers of many Hall of Fame big men throughout league history.
There were only 43 games played that year — in 1986-87, his final All-Star appearance — and 19 the following one by the time he was traded to the Golden State Warriors, where Sampson would play 29 but still average 15.4 points and 10.0 rebounds a night.
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It was the 1988-89 season that proved to be the real beginning of the end for Sampson. Despite appearing in 61 games, he could only muster 6.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 17.8 minutes a game.
He found himself a member of the Sacramento Kings the following season after being traded that offseason, playing a grand total of 61 games over the next three years — he spent his final season with the Washington Bullets — before calling it a career. at just 31 years old.