Being a Portland Trail Blazers fan, re-watching the 1992 NBA Finals is always an arduous, yet enjoyable experience. On one hand, you have Michael Jordan destroying a Blazers team that were at the top of their game and looking to win the franchise’s second ever title, but on the other, enjoying Clyde Drexler’s game is a thing of joy.
Clyde the Glide had the ability to make the extraordinary look effortless, in the way that only the likes of Jordan and Julius Erving have done. His flights to the basket were more hang-glider than F-111 fighter pilot. Ballet on a basketball court.
Drexler was unfortunate enough to be born into an era where he would be constantly over-shadowed by Jordan. Had he played in a different era, he may well have dominated his way to a couple of championships earlier in his career. Fortunately for him, that honour came late in his career with the Houston Rockets in 1995. One of many embellishments in his career that included a 1992 Olympic Gold Medal with the Dream Team, 10 All-Star games, Hall of Fame induction (2004) and recognition as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history (1996).
Perhaps he was one of those players who ended his career slightly prematurely though — taking the safe bet on a plank that is hard to judge. Some players stay too long, others go too early and some come back for seconds and thirds. Drexler still managed to put up 15.0ppg, 5.4rpg, 4.6apg and 1.6spg in his final season — not shabby by anyone’s measure.
Now, back to those 1992 Finals. The video below is a short reminder of how good Drexler really was, featuring 21 of his greatest moments from that Finals series against his nemesis, His Airness.
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