Game 5 1986 Finals
the game where tensions boiled over and a melee broke out. Houston’s 7-foot-4 center/forward Ralph Sampson got entangled with Boston’s 6-foot-1 guard Jerry Sichting, then he snapped, firing punches at Sichting.
it was 6 months 6 days from Jerry's 29th b-day
Score was 34-33 when the fight broke out
the fight broke out 33 seconds into the video
Boston and Houston
After this fight Sampson was never the same
and next year he was traded to Golden State.
Jerry was originally drafted by Golden State
- For a short time, Ralph Sampson was a great player (MVP of the All-Star Game in 1985) and the sky seemed to be the limit, but injuries really tore him down. He had a scary fall, landing flush on his back, earlier in the season (coincidentally in Boston) and as a result of compensating for his hip pain, he developed knee problems. This fight also hurt Sampson’s image and, in a way, was the beginning of the end, just a few weeks after his miracle shot to beat the Lakers had the city hoisting him on its shoulders. The media blasted Sampson. Celtics players took shots in the press, with Sichting saying that his “little brother” had hit him harder and that he didn’t know if it was a “punch or a mosquito.” Larry Bird couldn’t believe Sampson picked a fight with Sichting. “Heck, my girlfriend could beat [Sichting] up,” said Bird. Celtics fans were merciless, taunting Sampson in Game 6 with chants and Boston passed out signs that read, “Sampson is a Sissy.” We thought we had a Rockets dynasty in the making, but a year and a half later, Sampson was shipped to Golden State and the Rockets were struggling to find the right puzzle pieces.
see the fight here..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ-JGMCInd8
No comments:
Post a Comment