Ralph Sampson loves watching Victor Wembanyama play basketball.
The Spurs' star has a lot of similarities to Sampson, the athletic 7-foot-4 center who went No. 1 overall to the Rockets in the 1983 draft.
But injuries derailed Sampson's promising career, so when asked what advice he'd give Wembanyama as he enters Year 4 in San Antonio, it was simple.
"Stay healthy," Sampson said in an exclusive interview. "That's all I can say. Keep doing what you're doing. The game has changed over the years. If he can stay healthy, he's going to star for a long time. But if you're not healthy, you can't play."
Sampson made All-Star teams in each of his first four years in the NBA, but a knee injury in 1987 changed the trajectory of a promising career.
Wembanyama missed much of his second season due to deep vein thrombosis but has otherwise been mostly healthy.
Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game last season, winning Defensive Player of the Year and finishing third in the MVP voting.
"He can be phenomenal as he continues to develop," Sampson said. "He's taking his game to another level, and he is going to be the next thing to watch when LeBron (James), Steph (Curry) and KD (Kevin Durant) leave the game."
Wembanyama is the betting favorite to win MVP heading into the season, but Sampson wasn't ready to call him that.
"I don't predict MVP," Sampson said. "You've got to play first. Whoever wins it, wins it. But he's a candidate, for sure."
Sampson's praise for Wembanyama comes as the Spurs sit as the favorite in Polymarket's 2027 NBA champion market, priced at 23 percent as of this writing, just ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder at 19 percent.
The Knicks, who beat San Antonio in last year's Finals, sit third at 13 percent. Bettors looking to back Wembanyama and the Spurs can find current offers with a Polymarket promo code.
Sampson: Kevin Durant 'can play for as long as he wants'
The Rockets are looking to make the jump to true title contention this season, and their headliner, even at age 38, is still Kevin Durant.
He averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last year, shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from 3-point range.
Durant made his 16th All-Star team and was a second-team All-NBA selection in his first year with the Rockets.
"Kevin Durant, I love him to death," Sampson said. "He can play in today's game for a whole lot more years as long as he stays healthy. He's a Hall of Fame player. I love the way he plays, and I love to go see him play. He can play for as long as he wants."
Sampson said Durant's finesse game matches up perfectly with the current iteration of the NBA.
"He's had that (shooting ability) for life," Sampson said. "The game has evolved, and its style fits him."
Houston finished 52-30 last season but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Durant missed almost the entire series due to injury, while point guard Fred VanVleet missed the whole season with a torn ACL.
Both are ready to go for this season, and Sampson believes a healthy Rockets team is a contender in the West. But they have to keep the injury bug away.
"We'll see if they get healthy," Sampson said. "If they do, I think they can compete, but you've got to be healthy."
