Clyde Austin "The Glide" Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is a former American professional basketball shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 as part of the Dream Team and an NBA championship in 1995 with the Houston Rockets. He is the color commentator for Rockets home games.

Early years

Drexler lived in the South Park area in Houston. Drexler attended Ross Sterling High School in Houston, Texas, where he was a classmate of tennis player Zina Garrison. As a sophomore, he made the varsity baseball team as a first baseman, but soon quit in order to focus on basketball. He didn't try out for the basketball team until his junior year, and was promptly cut during tryouts due to lack of conditioning. Drexler played as a 6'6" center as a senior, and started receiving attention from college coaches following a 34-point, 27-rebound performance against Sharpstown High School during a 1979 Christmas tournament.

After graduating in 1980, he was recruited by New Mexico State, Texas Tech, and the University of Houston, the latter after childhood friend Michael Young told an assistant to head coach Guy V. Lewis that Drexler was the best player he had faced in high school; Houston was able to recruit them both due to Drexler's friendship with Young and his desire to stay home. In addition to basketball, he majored in finance and worked at a bank during the summer. Lewis recalled in 2003 that he initially received hate mail from Houston supporters and alumni for recruiting Drexler, as they felt that he wasn't good enough to play for the school.

Phi Slama Jama

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Drexler and Young, along with Larry Micheaux and new recruit Hakeem Olajuwon, comprised the "Phi Slama Jama" basketball fraternity that gained national attention for its acrobatic, above-the-rim play. New players were "initiated" into the fraternity by having to stand underneath the basket as Drexler drove in from halfcourt and threw down a tomahawk slam over them. Houston made the first of Drexler's two straight Final Four appearances in 1982, where they lost to eventual champions North Carolina. He averaged 15.2 points and 10.5 rebounds (second in the Southwest Conference) per game as a small forward as Houston finished 25"8.

The 1982"83 campaign saw Houston return to the Final Four ranked #1. They were matched up against #2 Louisville and the "Doctors of Dunk" in the semifinals, which Houston won 94"81 following a brilliant dunking display by both sides, including a double-pump slam by Drexler that Sports Illustrated writer Curry Kirkpatrick called "your basic play of the century". He finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but in the championship game against North Carolina State, Drexler failed to make an impact after picking up four fouls before halftime, and scored only four points on one-of-five shooting and two free throws in NC State's upset victory.

Drexler declared for the NBA Draft as a junior, leaving Houston with career averages of 14.4 points, 3.3 assists and 9.9 rebounds in three seasons. In addition to being named the Southwestern Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All American his final season, he remains the only player in school history with combined totals of at least 1,000 career points, 900 rebounds and 300 assists, in addition to being Houston's all-time steals leader with 268.

NBA career

Portland Trail Blazers

In 1983, Drexler was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 14th overall pick. He averaged only 7.7 points in 17.2 minutes per game in his rookie season. His second season was his breakout season, in which he averaged 17.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. In his third season, Drexler made his first All-Star team while averaging 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2.6 steals. In the 1989-1990 season, Drexler led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals, averaging 26.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, but his team lost to the Detroit Pistons. In the 1990-1991 season Drexler led Portland to a franchise best 63-19 record. Heavily favored to win the West, the Los Angeles Lakers upset the Trail Blazers by winning the Western Conference Finals. In 1991-1992 season, Drexler averaged 25 points per game (fourth best in the league). He made the All-NBA First Team and finished second to Michael Jordan in MVP voting. The Blazers made it to finals again, but were defeated by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. Drexler averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the finals.

In 1992 he was selected to the U.S. Olympic basketball team, nicknamed "The Dream Team", which won the gold medal in Barcelona. In the 1991"92 season he finished second to Michael Jordan in MVP voting. He met Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals that same season only to fall short, as Jordan and the Bulls went on to win their second consecutive championship. In the six-game series against Chicago, Drexler averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

Houston Rockets

On February 14, 1995, with the Blazers out of serious contention for a championship, Portland honored Drexler's request to be traded to a contender and sent the Blazer great back home to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Otis Thorpe in mid-season, right before the trade deadline. Despite finishing the regular season with a record of 47"35, which placed the Rockets 6th out of 8 playoff teams in the Western Conference, Drexler and long-time friend Hakeem Olajuwon helped propel them to an improbable second consecutive championship in 1995, sweeping the Orlando Magic. In his third NBA Finals appearance, Drexler averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.

During the 1995 NBA Playoffs, Drexler was ejected during a game between the Rockets and the Phoenix Suns by referee Jake O'Donnell, which allegedly stemmed from a personal feud between the two at the time. This would turn out to be the last NBA game O'Donnell would referee, as he was not assigned any further games in the playoffs that year, and eventually retired a few months later. In 1996, on ESPN's "NBA Today", O'Donnell commented, "I wouldn't give Clyde Drexler much leeway because of the way he reacted with me all the time. I thought at times he would give cheap shots to people, and I just would not allow it."

On February 13, 2009, Drexler participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Celebrity Game. Other celebrities participating include NBA Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens, actor Chris Tucker and four Harlem Globetrotters.

NBA statistics

		Regular season									Playoffs
Year	Team	GP	MPG	SPG	BPG	RPG	APG	FG%	PPG		GP	MPG	SPG	BPG	RPG	APG	FG%	PPG
1983"84	Portland	82	17.2	1.30	0.35	2.9	1.9	.451	7.7		5	17.0	1.00	0.20	3.4	1.6	.429	7.2
1984"85	Portland	80	31.9	2.21	0.85	6.0	5.5	.494	17.2		9	37.7	2.56	1.00	6.1	9.2	.410	16.7
1985"86	Portland	75	34.3	2.63	0.61	5.6	8.0	.475	18.5		4	36.3	1.50	0.75	6.3	6.5	.456	18.0
1986"87	Portland	82	38.0	2.49	0.87	6.3	6.9	.502	21.7		4	38.3	1.75	0.75	7.5	3.8	.456	24.0
1987"88	Portland	81	37.8	2.51	0.64	6.6	5.8	.506	27.0		4	42.5	3.00	0.50	7.0	5.3	.386	22.0
1988"89	Portland	78	39.3	2.73	0.69	7.9	5.8	.496	27.2		3	42.7	2.00	0.67	6.7	8.3	.493	27.7
1989"90	Portland	73	36.8	1.99	0.70	6.9	5.9	.494	23.3		21	40.6	2.52	0.86	7.2	7.1	.441	21.4
1990"91	Portland	82	34.8	1.76	0.73	6.7	6.0	.482	21.5		16	39.6	2.13	1.00	8.1	8.1	.476	21.7
1991"92	Portland	76	36.2	1.82	0.92	6.6	6.7	.470	25.0		21	40.3	1.48	0.95	7.4	7.0	.466	26.3
1992"93	Portland	49	34.1	1.94	0.76	6.3	5.7	.429	19.9		3	38.7	1.67	1.00	6.3	4.7	.419	19.0
1993"94	Portland	68	34.3	1.44	0.50	6.5	4.9	.428	19.2		4	39.3	2.00	0.50	10.3	5.5	.425	21.0
1994"95	Por " Hou	76	35.9	1.79	0.59	6.3	4.8	.461	21.8		22	38.6	1.50	0.68	7.0	5.0	.481	20.5
1995"96	Houston	52	38.4	2.02	0.46	7.2	5.8	.433	19.3		8	36.5	2.63	0.50	7.8	5.0	.415	16.6
1996"97	Houston	62	36.6	1.92	0.58	6.0	5.7	.442	18.0		16	38.9	1.63	0.44	5.6	4.8	.436	18.1
1997"98	Houston	70	35.3	1.80	0.60	4.9	5.5	.427	18.4		5	36.4	1.60	0.60	5.4	4.6	.309	15.0
Career		1,086	34.6	2.03	0.66	6.1	5.6	.472	20.4		145	38.4	1.92	0.74	6.9	6.1	.447	20.4

Awards

• First-team NCAA All-American (1983)
• Southwest Conference Player of the Year (1983)
• 10-time NBA All-Star (1986, 1988"1994, 1996, 1997)
• All-NBA First Team (1992)
• All-NBA Second Team (1988, 1991)
• All-NBA Third Team (1990, 1995)
• Olympic Gold Medalist (1992)
• NBA Championship (1995)
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Player Inductee (2004)
• Oregon Sports Hall of Fame Inducted (2001)

NBA records

Regular season

Steals, half: 8, second half, Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings,

Offensive rebounds by a guard, career: 2,615

Drexler came within one stat of achieving a quadruple-double on two occasions:
Portland Trail Blazers at Milwaukee Bucks, : 26 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals
Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings, : 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 10 steals

Playoffs

Points, overtime: 13, Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers,

Steals, 3-game series: 13, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 1990 Western Conference First Round

Steals, half: 6, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns,

Part of the third pair of players in NBA playoff history to score 40 points in the same game: Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz,
Drexler: 41 points
Hakeem Olajuwon: 40 points

All-Star Game

Highest free throw percentage, career: 1.000 (12"12)

Ranks 2nd in NBA history

Regular season

Steals, game: 10, twice
10, Portland Trail Blazers at Milwaukee Bucks,
10, Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings,

Steals, half: 7, twice
7, Portland Trail Blazers at Philadelphia 76ers,
7, first half, Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls,

Playoffs

Steals, half: 5, first half, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz,

Ranks 3rd in NBA history

Regular season

Rebounds by a guard, career: 6,677

• Trailing Jason Kidd and Oscar Robertson

Blocked shots by a guard, career: 719

• Trailing Michael Jordan and Ron Harper

Playoffs

Steals, one postseason: 53 (1990)

Ranks 4th in NBA history

Regular season

Steals, game: 8, thrice
8, Portland Trail Blazers at Indiana Pacers,
8, Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls,
8, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Indiana Pacers,

Playoffs

Steals, game: 6, thrice
6, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Los Angeles Lakers,
6, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz,
6, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns,

Playing style

Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, as he was nicknamed at the University of Houston and throughout his professional career, was famed for his speed and athleticism on the court and his easygoing and quiet demeanor off the court. At the University of Houston, Drexler became well known for his exceptional abilities as a finisher, but generally was not considered a great shooter. During his pro career Drexler developed a much more well rounded game, even becoming an effective post player and more consistent outside shooter. His extraordinary leaping abilities allowed him to be an acrobatic dunker and Drexler participated in numerous NBA All-Star dunk contests during the late eighties.

Drexler was regarded as a versatile player, and he was consistently among the leaders at his position in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He also posted a considerable number of blocked shots for a player his size, ranking third for his career totals among guards.

He is one of three players in NBA history to have posted career totals of at least 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists (the two others being Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek). As of 2008, Drexler leads all guards with his career average of offensive rebounds with 2.4 per game.

College coaching career

Drexler stayed with the Rockets for three more seasons before retiring from the NBA after the 1997"98 season in order to become head men's basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Houston.

Drexler coached the Cougars in 1998"1999 and 1999"2000. After compiling a 19"37 record in his two seasons, Drexler decided to resign to spend more time with his family.

Head coaching record

Honors and tribute

Drexler's #22 jersey has been retired by the Cougars (pictured), Rockets, and Trail Blazers. He was inducted as a player into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 10, 2004, in his first year of eligibility.

In 2004 Drexler co-authored his biography, Clyde the Glide, with Portland Tribune sports writer Kerry Eggers, and University of Houston classmate and CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz providing the foreword.

Drexler set a Trail Blazer record in 1989 by dunking on an 11' 1" rim.

Family

Drexler married his wife, Gaynell, on December 30, 1988. He has four children, Erica, Austin, Elise, and Adam (the last three with Gaynell). The Drexlers have a home in the River Oaks-Memorial neighborhood of Houston and another one in the Dunthorpe neighborhood of Portland.

His brother James and his two sisters, Denise and Virginia, run the family barbecue restaurants in Houston called Drexler's World Famous BBQ & Grill, which includes the "22 Bar". His mother, Eunice Scott, also works at the downtown restaurant that was started by his uncle in 1967. There are two locations, downtown Houston and Bush Intercontinental Airport. Drexler also started investing in real estate in his rookie NBA season, and although he is now mostly retired, he does do some managing of his Drexler Holdings LLC, based in downtown Houston.

Books

Drexler is the subject of the book Clyde Drexler: Clyde the Glide. He wrote the introduction to the children's book Shrews Can't Hoop.

TV appearances

Drexler made a guest appearance on Married... with Children, a cameo appearance in an episode of Arliss, and was also a guest star in an episode of The Sentinel. In 2006 he made a cameo appearance in the basketball movie Like Mike 2: Streetball. That same year, Drexler participated in the first season of the Spike TV show Pros vs. Joes, which features three amateur contestants matching themselves against five professional athletes. Drexler was a member of the regular season Green Team and the season finale Orange Team.

On February 21, 2007, it was announced that Drexler would participate in the fourth season of the American version of Dancing with the Stars with partner Elena Grinenko. Drexler was the fourth celebrity to be voted off in round five on April 17, 2007.

On April 11, 2010, Drexler appeared as a guest on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice in which he helped the men's team "Rock Solid" complete a task to create video advertisements for Right Guard.

See also

• List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with 9 or more steals in a game

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