Ralph Lee Sampson, Jr., born on the 7th July 1960, is an American basketball icon who rose to fame as early as his high school years, because of his height and performance. He is a former player for the University of Virginia and in the National Basketball League(NBL).
So how much is Sampson’s net worth? As of mid 2016, it is reported by authoritative sources to be over $6 million, acquired largely from his years of playing professional basketball from 1983-95.
Ralph Sampson Net Worth $6 million
Born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Sampson is the son of Ralph Sr. and Sarah. With his towering height of 2.24 metres, it was no surprise that he was going to be a basketball player. He attended Harrisonburg High School where he led his basketball team to many victories. including two State AA Championships in 1978 and 1979.
From his performance in high school basketball, Sampson was then recruited to play for the University of Virginia. He once again led his new team – The Cavaliers – to many successes, in particular helping the team achieve an NIT title in 1980, appearing in the NCAA Final Four in 1981 and NCAA Elite Eight in 1983. He himself also took home many awards, including three Naismith Award as the National Player of the Year and two Wooden Awards.
Sampson was dubbed as one of the most recruited players of his generation, not just in college basketball but in the NBL as well. In the 1983 NBL draft, he became the number one pick of the Houston Rockets. His new contract not only catapulted him to fame, but also started his net worth.
During his first year with the Rockets, Sampson was already making waves in the NBA, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He also became part of the duo “Twin Towers”, when the Rockets was able to pick Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1984 NBA draft. The two 7-footers helped the team achieve many victories, and defied the odds because of their height.
After experiencing a knee injury, the Rockets let Sampson go in 1987,and traded him to the Golden State Warriors. Unable to play at his full capacity with his injury, Sampson transferred from team to team until he retired in 1995. Some of the teams that he played with include the Sacramento Kings, the Washington Bullets, the Unicaja Ronda in Spain and the Rockford Lightning of the CBA. Despite the various injuries and transfers, his career in basketball still increased his net worth.
Sampson also received many accolades after his retirement, including being inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, and was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team in 2002.
Sampson later founded Winners Circle Enterprises in 2006, offering consultancy services to various businesses. He also authored a book entitled “Winner’s Circle: The Ralph Sampson Game Plan”. All of his other endeavours also helped in his wealth.
In terms of his personal life, Sampson was married to Aleize Sampson in 1986 but later divorced in 2003. The couple shared four children together.
