Clyde Drexler

One of the game's all-time great guards, Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, born June 22, 1962 in New Orleans, LA, was known for his high-flying yet seemingly effortless swoops to the basket. After almost a dozen seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Drexler left Portland with his name all over the franchise's record books. A perennial All-Star and a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team, Drexler twice led the Blazers to the NBA Finals. It wasn't until he joined the Houston Rockets midway through his 12th campaign; however, that he finally earned a championship ring in 1995.

It was fitting that Drexler achieved the ultimate NBA success while in Houston. A native of the city, having gone to Sterling High School, he attended the University of Houston and starred on the "Phi Slamma Jamma" teams of the early 1980s. A forward in college, Drexler teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Micheaux to form a front line that took the team on two straight trips to the NCAA Final Four. In his junior season, Drexler averaged 15.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting .536 from the floor. The Blazers selected Drexler with the 14th overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft. In his second season, Drexler greatly improved from his rookie season and reeled off 10 straight seasons as one of the top scorers in the league. In his third season, 1985-86, he became an All-Star for his first time, averaging 18.5 points and ranking third in the NBA in steals (2.63 per game) and 10th in assists (8.0 apg). He ended his illustrious NBA career joining Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek as the only players in NBA history to top 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists.

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