SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Ralph Sampson, a former star center, a current father, about to officially become a Hall of Famer, said Thursday he may look into a new path: coaching.
The Atlanta resident said he never previously gave serious thought to getting on a bench because he didn’t want to spend so much time away from his two sons. Now that one is out of college – Ralph Sampson III attended the University of Minnesota and played for the Bobcats in the Las Vegas summer league after going undrafted – and another is established in school, the elder Sampson is thinking the time is right.
“I haven’t pursued it regularly in the past, probably like most people have or I should,” he said. “Now that my son is going to be a junior at East Carolina, I may look at it more seriously. I wanted him to get established first. My other son is out of college. I look every year at what coaches are doing what, when and where. You think, ‘Oh, maybe that’s not the right time.’ This year may be my time.”
There does not appear to be anything on the immediate horizon with most staffs in the college and professional ranks set, but Sampson could begin with a lesser role in player development, as opposed to spending every game on the bench. Or he could become a tutor in the mold of former Rockets teammate Hakeem Olajuwon.
