Ralph Sampson: The NBA’s First Unicorn

All The Smoke

The Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts

Basketball, Society & Culture, Sports

4.8 • 7.4K Ratings

🗓️ 16 October 2025

⏱️ 83 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Before Victor Wembanyama, there was Ralph Sampson, the original unicorn. One of the nation’s first super recruits, Sampson appeared on six Sports Illustrated covers in four years at the University of Virginia and once more as a member of the Houston Rockets. Matt and Stak sit down with the Hall of Famer to reflect on his legendary career, from NBA brawls and battles with Michael Jordan and Dr. J to facing greats like Moses Malone and teaming up with Hakeem Olajuwon. He shares wild stories about receiving death threats in college, Bob Knight smacking a cop while coaching Team USA, running into Mad Max in jail, and the Puma deal that became a lifetime contract. Sampson remains one of the most under appreciated talents in basketball history, and this conversation proves why.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:05.5	From NBA champion, Stefan Curry, comes shot ready, a powerful never-before-seen look at the mindset that changed the game.
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	...

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