When Ralph Sampson graduated from high school in Harrisonburg, Virginia, he was the most heavily recruited college basketball prospect in the country. As center for the University of Virginia Cavaliers, the seven-foot-four Sampson was the first player in the team's history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. At Virginia, he earned three Naismith Awards as the National Player of the Year, and an unprecedented pair of John Wooden Awards, while also ranking as an Academic All-American. When he spoke at the Academy of Achievement's 1982 Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana, as heard in this podcast, he emphasized the value of education, noting that he had already turned down numerous offers to play professional basketball so that he could continue his education. The excitement surrounding Sampson continued as he graduated from the collegiate game to the NBA; he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times in only four years. Number 1 pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, he joined the Houston Rockets, and was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He would play on four All-Star teams over the course of his ten seasons in the NBA, most of them playing for Houston. Sampson spent his last seasons with the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Bullets, before retiring in 1992. Although his career was cut short by injuries requiring knee surgery, he is remembered fondly by basketball fans across the country, and especially in his native Virginia, as "a giant of finesse and agility."