Clyde Drexler was a very acrobatic, high-flying, above-the-rim-playing, effortless-jumping NBA player, who had to learn his way to basketball achievements.
He entered the league when he was 21, being the 14th pick in the 1983 NBA draft (he was drafter by Portland Blazers). That only proves that he didn’t have what it takes, back then to be a basketball superstar that he became. It wasn’t easy for him.
The first season, he only average 7.7 points per game. Some might say that that was due to the 17 minutes of play he was given but he was still learning and adopting to the game of basketball.
It wasn’t until 1987-1988 season when he averaged 27 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.In 1992 he took the Blazers to the NBA finals against the Bulls and Michael Jordan.
No need to tell you who won the series:) but he was voted as the second most valuable player for that season. That very same year Drexler joined his countrymen, representing the nation in the Olympics.
He was part of the original “Dream Team” with true basketball legends. And Clyde “The Glide” Drexler was one of them. The Dream Team won the gold medal. That medal and the 1995 NBA championship ring make his amazing 15 year career complete.
In 1995, he joined his college playmate Hakeem Olajuwon and together with Rudy Tomjanovich they were unstoppable. Here’s what he has to say about joining the Houston Rockets…
“I was lucky. I spent almost 12 years in Portland and came to Houston for the last 3 1/2 years, which was a nice. But when you can spend your whole career with one team, that’s a blessing.”
Later, in 1996 he was chosen as the 50 greatest players to play the game. Clyde decided to end his career at the age of 36, in 1998. Together with Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek, they are the only players to make more than 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists.