Basketball great Ralph Lee Sampson, Jr. was born on July 7, 1960 in Harrisonburg, VA to the proud parents of Ralph & Sarah Sampson and the eldest of three children. Sampson credits his sound, small town upbringing in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as well as the love and support of his parents and high school basketball coach, for his success today. At a young age, Sampson learned both the importance of teamwork and leadership, as he led his high school basketball team to three state championships, becoming the most heavily-recruited prospect of his generation.
After high school, 7’4” Sampson went on to the University of Virginia where he posted an impressive 123-22 record, won a championship, and was voted National Player of the Year in three of his four seasons. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated an unprecedented six times in a span of less than four years. All the while, Sampson handled his fame with class and dignity, never putting himself above his teammates.
Upon receiving a B.A. in Communications, Sampson was selected by the Houston Rockets as the Number One pick in the NBA Draft. As a rookie, he averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds and won the NBA Rookie of the Year. A five-time All Star during his career with the Rockets, he led his team to the NBA Finals in 1986. He went on to play for the Golden State Warriors and completed his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings. He has been inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
During his professional career and afterwards as a coach at James Madison University, Sampson began to realize his calling for teaching and mentoring children, beginning with the “Winners Circle,” an organization Sampson founded to help youth in various cities. Sampson trained and prepared children as both players and people. As he watched kids turn F’s into A’s, Sampson was inspired to create his trademark program: Motivation, Attitude, Plan for success [MAP].
Whether nurturing a business or working with kids, Ralph Sampson’s guiding principle is the same: give back and stand for something. This college basketball legend and retired NBA great has made a second career out of doing just that as the founder of the Winner’s Circle Enterprises & the Sampson Family Foundation, organizations devoted to consulting, business development, motivational speaking & more importantly; the support & mentoring of our youth in education, career & social development.