Given 12 years of health, Ralph Sampson or Arvydas Sabonis?

[Sakkreth]

If I'm not wrong

Sabonis was a PG,SG,C in a Center's body
and
Sampson was a SF in a Center's body

fixed.

This thread can't be serious.

[JohnnySic]

Sabonis easily.

Side note - Sampson wasn't really 7'4", he was more like 7'2ish" with short arms and a short torso (his height was in his legs); Sabonis may have been taller. He was certainly bigger.

[millwad]

fixed.

This thread can't be serious.

Who did Sabonis ever dominated? He is a player built by myths while playing against european players. He did never dominate David Robinson like some of you lie about and he was decent in the NBA, not great. I know he was much better before the injuries but still, his accomplishments are done while playing against non-nba players.

[millwad]

Sabonis easily.

Side note - Sampson wasn't really 7'4", he was more like 7'2ish" with short arms and a short torso (his height was in his legs); Sabonis may have been taller. He was certainly bigger.

Sabonis height was due his enormous head, I can't find another player with a huge head like that..

[JohnnySic]

Sabonis height was due his enormous head, I can't find another player with a huge head like that..

[millwad]

Joe Kleine's head was definitely smaller than Sabas head, not even comparable..

[ZenMaster]

Who did Sabonis ever dominated? He is a player built by myths while playing against european players. He did never dominate David Robinson like some of you lie about and he was decent in the NBA, not great. I know he was much better before the injuries but still, his accomplishments are done while playing against non-nba players.

There are very few players who at 33 could go 16-10-3-1 in the NBA with the amount of injuries Sabonis had, very few.

Just look at him at 18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyzUZ...eature=related

[Blue&Orange]

Sampson never played up to his size. Before he got injured he was a very good and promising center. He was 7'4" and in his first three seasons in the league he had about as many rebounds as Larry Bird. Look at Sabonis's and Sampson's numbers per 36 minutes. At 31, a post-injury Sabonis was rebounding at a higher rate than a 24 year-old pre injury Ralph Sampson.

Let me say i only know Sampson thanks to the youtube, my first impression when saw him run that court was that no way he is 7"3 or 7"4", my second impression after looking at the stats was disappointment. The guy was so tall and fast and only 20\10? That good but not so freakish as his athletic skills.

This is a great a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNGJl2MfyiI

[millwad]

Let me say i only know Sampson thanks to the youtube, my first impression when saw him run that court was that no way he is 7"3 or 7"4", my second impression after looking at the stats was disappointment. The guy was so tall and fast and only 20\10? That good but not so freakish as his athletic skills.

This is a great a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNGJl2MfyiI

Sampson's stats ain't really fair compared to his skills. He was really skilled but the fact that Hakeem came just after his first year made it harder for him cause he hard to share the ball with one of the best ever. And we really didn't have the opportunity to see his true prime since he got crazy injuries, Sabonis injuries ain't nothing compared to Sampsons, dude could barely walk..

[JMT]

Not trying to be a homer, but easily Sabonis.

This dude was the best passing big I've ever seen. He could stroke the 3 ball if he had to, and he had the hook shot down. A excellent free throw shooter.

I never got to see Sampson play. I don't know if he was nearly as skilled as Sabonis.

Also, at 21, Sabonis was an experienced pro. He was a few years ahead of Sampson on the learning curve.

[iamgine]

He didn't even school Robinson, it's a pure myth.
URS won the game with 6 points, and again, this was only a team with college players, no actual pro's.. I've seen the game and it's on youtube as well for anyone who likes to see it.


Robinson in that game had: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks

Sabonis in that game had: 13 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block

Sabonis also played against the Dream Team in 1992 olypmics, that time he had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assists and 2 turnovers.

He faced the Dream Team in 1996 olympics as well, that time he had 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 turnovers.

But why did a lot of people say he schooled Robinson or team USA? With stats like that I wouldn't think so.

[millwad]

Guys like Walton who played him in international ball when he was healthy say he was among the best ever.

He was an incresibly skilled player. Far more skilled than Sampson, though not as fast or quick off the floor.

International ball? To start with, when the hell did Walton play against Sabas internationally?

This is what I'm saying, Sabas career is a work of "he said, she said" rather than actual accomplishments. I'm not taking away anything of what he accomplished, he's a 8 time European player of the year, 2 time spanish MVP, 1 time european champ. MVP and the list goes on.

Though what I'm saying is, HE'S OVERRATED, he accomplished great things but it was against weak opponents.

He was decent in the NBA, no doubt, and yes, he was old and he had been injured and everything, I know. But when people talk about him they talk about quotes and "coulda and shoulda" and make up myths, like him "schooling" David Robinson when in fact he got outscored and only had a rebound or so more than DRob in the college version of DRob or they talk about him blocking DRob twice in a row..

[millwad]

But why did a lot of people say he schooled Robinson or team USA? With stats like that I wouldn't think so.

That's what I'm saying, people make up things and start false myths. David Robinson didn't get SCHOOLED at all by Sabonis but everyone says so without even watching the actual game or even the freaking boxscore..

[iamgine]

That's what I'm saying, people make up things and start false myths. David Robinson didn't get SCHOOLED at all by Sabonis but everyone says so without even watching the actual game or even the freaking boxscore..

Can you link the boxscore of that game?

[millwad]

Can you link the boxscore of that game?

Sure!

There you can check every single stat Sabonis has put up in the Olympics:

http://www.sports-reference.com/olym...sabonis-1.html

The game against DRob is the semi's of 1988's olympics.