Sampson was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Sarah and Ralph Sampson Sr. He was already 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) tall by ninth grade, reaching 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) in high school. He averaged nearly 30 points, 19 rebounds, … See more

Sampson was arguably the most heavily recruited college basketball prospect of his generation and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times in a span of fewer than four years (December 17, 1979; December … See more