In 1983, the great new promise was Ralph Sampson, an unclassifiable player who, at 7 ft 4 seemed to be willing to create a new era. His height probably didn’t keep him away from the area, but his speed put him far away from the hoop. Soon enough people started calling him “the tallest striker in history”, destined to change history by blurring the lines between positions, the total package player.
PUMA RALPH SAMPSON, THE SPARK OF AN ICON
Puma had already revolutionised basketball in the seventies when they created an exclusive sneaker for Walt Frazier, the star of the Knicks. This is how a new trend that put the names of the players on the main performance sneakers, just like in other sports, started; an unwritten rule that became essential during the eighties. Puma, a pioneer of basketball signatures, was about to revolutionise basketball for a second time with a name that’s almost forgotten, that of Ralph Sampson.
Ralph Sampson had been a college basketball star, the number one from the draft and the hope of the Houston Rockets, but he didn’t have his own sneakers. The brand that had provided him with footwear during his time at college had decided to suddenly abandon basketball and it wasn’t easy to find a size US17 that could adapt to his needs.
Puma was the first brand to create a prototype that could satisfy the Rockets player, even though the lack of cushioning obliged him to use several socks (a primitive method to reduce impact). Soon enough, Puma released sneakers that were exclusively designed for Ralph Sampson by starting a collection under his name, creating a trend that would be followed by many NBA stars.
Puma’s relationship with Ralph Sampson was very different to the one they had in the seventies with Walt Frazier, a player that is remembered for his style inside and out of the courts. Puma’s line for Ralph Sampson was focused on performance and that was the main reason for its success; they ended up offering seven different models in just one season, their collection had to adapt to the needs of any player.
Puma started to expand its team of players with people like Terry Cummings, Manute Bol or A.C. Green while Ralph Sampson started to broaden his curriculum with the Rookie of the year or the All-Star Game MVP awards. A surprising appearance in the slam dunk contest would make him become the tallest participant in the All-Star game history and one of this throws in the last second of the fifth match of the playoffs left out the sacred Lakers from the NBA final. In 1984, the Rockets would add Akeem (later Hakeem) Olajuwon to the team, forming one of the most feared couples in history.
However, the team seemed to be ready to dethrone the Lakers and the Celtics were dissolved soon after reaching the finals. Ralph Sampson managed to keep with the rhythm of professional basketball until his knees gave out, well before being able to revolutionise basketball just as everyone had been expecting. The striking impact his Puma sneakers had made started to diminish at the same time his health did too. His story, as well as his sneakers, were left as a relic that could not catch up with the times.
