Houston Sports - Clyde Drexler

Clyde Drexler

Born: June 22, 1962

Sport: Basketball (All-American, 10-time NBA All-Star, Gold Medal, Hall of Fame)

Sometimes the headlines write themselves and this is one of those instances.  With the University of Houston scoring a stunning victory yesterday to advance to their first championship game in over 40 years, this seemed a perfect time to recognize one of the greatest basketball players in their program's history.  As a member of the school's so-called Phi Slama Jama team of the early 1980s, Clyde Drexler was one of the smoothest and most impressive men to ever play the game.  Let's look at this Hall of Famer that left his mark in not one, but two of our city's basketball programs. 

South Park neighborhood during Drexler's high school years

Born in New Orleans, LA, Drexler moved to a neighborhood in southeast Houston while still in school.  He made his high school varsity baseball team as a sophomore, but was cut that year from the basketball team.  He did finally make the squad, however, and as a 6' 7" center he attracted attention with a strong performance against crosstown Sharpstown High School during a 1979 tournament.  He was recruited to several universities and chose to remain close to home, alongside a friend and former opponent named Michael Young.  UH coach Guy V. Lewis put together a team focused on speed and athleticism, trying to score quickly and taking advantage of the slam dunk, which had been banned in college basketball from 1967-77 (claiming it was "not a skillful shot").  The Cougars thought otherwise and their style of play, led by Drexler and Young, became exceptionally popular and yielded quick success.  The later development of bench player Akeem Olajuwon proved to be the missing piece, and Drexler's college career in Houston resulted in three trips to the NCAA tournament, two trips to the Final Four, and a heartbreaking loss in the 1983 championship game to NC State.  Drexler, who had earned himself the nickname of "the Glide" for his smooth play and effortless leaping ability, led the Southwest Conference in steals for two seasons while also impressing enough with his offensive prowess to garner a 2nd team All-American selection.  He chose to forego his senior season and enter the NBA draft, not participating in the school's run to their second consecutive championship game loss the following season.

Clyde Drexler somehow lasted until the 14th pick in the 1983 draft, and was selected by a Portland Trailblazers team that had established veterans at his position.  While he was not impressive as a rookie, his second season saw a breakout in production that cemented his spot as a cornerstone for the franchise, and by his third season Clyde the Glide had attracted national attention and was awarded with his first All-Star selection.  During 12 years with the team, he would become one of the most recognizable and accomplished players in the league, with 8 All-Star selections, 2 trips to the NBA Finals, and 5 All-NBA team selections.  The 1992 Olympics was the first time that NBA players were allowed to participate, and the group that was chosen to play quickly became known as the Dream Team.  Drexler joined what may have been the greatest collection of basketball talent the world had ever seen as they introduced a global audience to an entirely new level of play.  The gold medal platform in Barcelona became the first championship Drexler had claimed, but fortunately for him and his hometown it wouldn't be his last.

On Valentine's Day in 1995, I was a kid who loved playing basketball and loved following the Houston Rockets.  Just a few months earlier, my favorite professional team had won their first championship by defeating the New York Knicks in a dramatic 7-game series.  But they seemed to me to have slumped the following year - a bit of success hangover combining with the challenge of a very competitive conference giving them their very best every game.  When my dad came home from work that the team had traded key big man Otis Thorpe to Portland, my heart sank.  "Oh man," I whined, "they always seem to beat us because they've got this guy, Clyde Drexler, and we can't seem to stop him."  My dad responded, "That's who they traded for."  I jumped up and down, absolutely elated.  I couldn't believe my team had landed such an amazing player, and I was convinced that combining former UH teammates Clyde the Glide and Hakeem the Dream was exactly what we needed to win the whole thing.  My faith was put to the test, however, as the new-look Houston roster limped to an unimpressive 18-18 record to finish the season in 6th place.  But in the most improbable playoff run to date, Houston won all four series without home court advantage, including recovering from 2-1 and 3-1 deficits in the first two rounds, and ended up sweeping the Orlando Magic to finally give Clyde Drexler the championship alongside Olajuwon that they'd been denied over 12 years earlier.  Although Drexler had been largely ineffective in their NCAA game, missing much of the game after committing 4 fouls in the first half, his veteran leadership in the NBA Finals came through.  While trailing Orlando by 20 points in game 1, Drexler scored 5 consecutive points to spark a furious comeback and overtime win. 

Clyde Drexler played three more seasons in Houston, during which he earned two more All-Star selections and was named to the list of "50 Greatest Players in NBA History" for the league's 50th anniversary, before retiring after the 1997-98 campaign.  He transitioned immediately to coaching, as the University of Houston tapped him to hopefully lead their team back to respectability after falling to last place in their second year of membership in Conference USA.  Although the hire of a local hero and all-time great basketball player generated excitement among fans, the Cougars did not see success during Drexler's time at the helm and he resigned after posting a 19-39 record over two seasons.  He had his number retired by the University of Houston, the Portland Trailblazers, and the Houston Rockets, and was inducted into his sport's Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility.  Drexler has since spent his time with family and business interests, but doesn't avoid the spotlight.  He has written two books, an autobiography and a children's book, and appeared in several TV series and reality shows.  In addition to serving as a global ambassador for the game of basketball, he has also served as a coach and is now commissioner for the BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league.  Be sure to keep an eye out for this Houston legend as his UH Cougars play for the title on 4/7/25.

Note: Any trademarks or copyrights that may exist for entities referenced on this page are the property of their holders.  I claim no ownership and make no representation, nor do I receive any compensation for their use as this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only.  Special thanks to Google Earth, which makes historical aerial photography available.