YouTube Gold: Clyde The Glide Drexler

To an extent, Clyde”the Glide” Drexler has always been overshadowed. At Houston, he was part of Phi Slama Jamma, but Hakeem Olajuwon emerged as one of the greatest big men in NCAA (and then NBA) history.

He was overshadowed in the NBA by a number of guys from Larry Bird to Scottie Pippen to Dominique Wilkins to Charles Barkley and most of all by Michael Jordan.

Jordan overshadowed everyone.

But Drexler was great in college and he was better in the NBA. He could always run and dunk as well as anyone in the history of the game but as he matured, Drexler also became a tough shooter. At his prime, he was impossible to defend.

With the Trailblazers though, he joined a team that had placed a priority on drafting the best talent available. Portland never quite got over the hump but in 1995, he was traded to Houston where he reunited with Olajuwon and helped the Rockets win the 1995 championship.

Of course, Jordan was still playing baseball. After he came back, the Bulls won the next three championships, which closed the door on Drexler.

Still, bad timing can’t erase his greatness. Drexler was a brilliant talent.