THE FITCH-SAMPSON FUSS : On Rockets, It’s Tower of Glower

The way Houston Rockets Coach Bill Fitch figures it, a year from now Ralph Sampson will be playing so well that no one will be asking if the Rockets are thinking about trading him, to the Lakers or anyone else.

But right now, it’s still a hot topic. In fact, what we have tonight, when the Rockets stop off at the Forum to play the Lakers, is a long-running soap opera.

Have Ralph and Bill made up since their little falling-out?

Has Ralph demanded that he be allowed to leave town?

Can Ralph find inner contentment only in Los Angeles, or will Houston do?

Is Ralph really jealous of his Twin Tower?

Yes, this is certainly a modern-day sports story. It is also one that Fitch is getting tired of reading. For the record, he says, he gets along just fine now with Ralph and would you please stop writing ugly things about us that happened long ago.

Meanwhile, Rocket General Manager Ray Patterson, the man responsible for bringing Fitch and Sampson together, has expressed little concern for any bruised feelings Sampson may have.

“I don’t care if he’s mad, just as long as he plays,” Patterson said.

How did things get this way?

It began in training camp, when Sampson was playing in games despite having a pulled muscle, and not playing very well. After that, the facts are in dispute.

Fitch criticized Sampson after a poor performance. Sampson, insisting that he had told the team he was hurt, lashed out at the Rockets and Fitch, who says that he didn’t criticize Sampson after he knew for sure that Sampson was hurt.

Sampson was quoted as saying the Rockets might as well trade him.

“You don’t want to believe everything you read in the newspapers,” Fitch said.

Oh? Sampson told reporters recently that nothing has changed.

But even Tom Collins, Sampson’s agent, said that his client seems to be getting along better with Fitch.

“Fitch is rolling off Ralph pretty well,” Collins said. “The guy understands Fitch. His whole life is basketball. Ralph is not trying to rock the boat, demanding to be traded or saying, ‘Get me out of here.’ Fitch is not the main problem with Ralph.”

According to Collins, Sampson’s main gripe is the perceived lack of interest by the Rockets in setting higher goals. Collins mentioned specifically the Rockets’ lack of interest in signing free-agent guard Norm Nixon when he was available. Nixon just happens to be represented by Collins.

Collins said that Sampson was disappointed that the Rockets didn’t sign Nixon to an offer sheet and has grown impatient waiting for the team to challenge for the NBA title.

If the Rockets are going to win, it had better be soon, or Sampson may not be around Houston to see it. His four-year, $4.42-million contact has only this season and next season left before it is completed.

More than any other team, the Lakers have been mentioned as a possible place of future employment for Sampson.

Sampson’s contract will expire at the same time the NBA’s union agreement ends, which could mean no rules concerning free-agent signings, salary caps or compensation.

That’s nearly two years away, though, and Fitch said that one decision about Sampson has already been made: He will not be traded.

“When Ralph shot his mouth off in the exhibition season, he just had to yell at someone because at that point, he was playing like he is now, basically struggling with his game,” Fitch said.

As for not signing Nixon, Fitch said he left that decision to Patterson but doubted that Nixon would have fit in anyway.

“You have to weigh the factors, like Nixon coming in and making more money than the guards we have now,” he said. “Ray did what he had to do.”

Playing in Houston, a city that hasn’t had many sports heroes, Sampson is not the people’s choice. That distinction belongs to Akeem Olajuwon, Sampson’s Twin Tower, who played college basketball at the University of Houston.

There seems to be enough room in Houston for both, however.

In fact, Fitch said the Rockets have proven that two tall players can coexist and prosper.

“It would be easy on any given day to say it’s tough to put together a system waiting for Ralph to play forward and Akeem to develop as a center,” he said. “But the tough days are just about over with the two of them.

“A year from now, there won’t be any questions if Ralph doesn’t like the coach or if he’s jealous of Akeem. He’ll be playing so well, you won’t ask.”

But what about the situation now? Do you two really get along?

Don’t ask.