Sampson Gives Celts Final Answer

April 28, 1980

SAMPSON ISSUES FINAL NO' ANSWER FOLLOWS SECOND MEETING

The Celtics yesterday offered Ralph Sampson "what could have been the best offer ever made to a player coming out of college," but Sampson turned it down. "He's not coming," Harry Mangurian, the Celtics' owner, said at halftime of last night's playoff game between the Celtics and 76ers. "He more or less told us he was going to stay in school."



Mangurian and Red Auerbach, the Celtics president and general manager, met for over two hours yesterday in Sampson's home in Harrisonburg, Va., with Sampson, the 7-4 freshman center of the University of Virginia. Also attending the meeting were Sampson's parents, Terry Holland, Sampson's coach at Virginia, and Roger Bergey, Sampson's high school coach.

The meeting was arranged after a series of phone conversations that began with a clear-the-air call from Sampson to Auerbach on Tuesday. Auerbach pressed for a face-to-face discussion and, finally, Sampson agreed. Two weeks ago, Sampson turned down a reported offer from the Celtics of $500,000 a year and said he intended to remain in school at Virginia for at least another year. But Mangurian and Auerbach were miffed then that they had not been able to meet personally with the freshman.

"But we had a good conversation with him yesterday," said Mangurian. "We talked to him for over two hours but he told us that he wants to stay in school. "We made him a very, very fine offer," said the Celtics' owner. "But he didn't really seem interested in the offer. I then asked him what amount would make him interested, what would be the offer to make him change his mind. "He said," said Mangurian, "that there was no figure that could get him to change."

When asked specifically how large the Boston offer was, Mangurian replied, "It could have been the best offer ever made to a player coming out of college." The Celtics last year reportedly paid Larry Bird $650,000 a year, the most ever paid to a rookie. When asked if the offer made Sampson was more than was offered Bird, Mangurian said it was. Sampson, said Mangurian, "was very appreciative that we had made the effort to come down and try to sign him again" after the freshman's first refusal. "But I really think he had made up his mind to stay in school and I think he made that decision all by himself.


"Both Red and I gave him all the reasons why he should accept our offer," continued the owner,"but . . . " During the meeting, Mangurian repeated that the Celtics were willing to increase their offer substantially. " Is there any figure that would make you come out?' I asked him. Is there any offer to make you change your mind about the decision?' "He said, No.' "I really don't think there was any offer that we could have made that would have changed his mind," said the owner.

"Nothing."

Sampson technically has until midnight tomorrow to decide whether he will turn hardship and declare himself eligible for the NBA draft in June. And Auerbach did say, "It's all in his hands now. I don't know what he's going to do." But Mangurian seemed all but resigned to Sampson's decision. "We wanted him," he said. "But Ralph wants to stay in school.'