Did clyde drexler faint before the game

Ten-time NBA All-Star, Olympic Gold Medalist, two-time Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and NBA Champion are some of the terms associated with Clyde Drexler's illustrious basketball career. Nicknamed "The Glide," Drexler became a fan favorite for his aerial exploits and prolific scoring ability, earning himself a spot on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list introduced during the 1997 All-Star weekend.

A native of Houston, Drexler had been to the NBA finals twice with the team that drafted him, the Portland Trail Blazers. However, they failed to overcome the opponents from the Eastern Conference and fell victim to the Detroit Pistons in 1990 and the Chicago Bulls in 1992. Both teams defeated Drexler and the Blazers to go on to win the second of back-to-back titles.

Drexler joined his hometown team, the Houston Rockets, in 1995 and went on to win his first NBA championship. Joining forces with Hakeem Olajuwon after the Rockets sent Otis Thorpe in a deal to acquire Clyde, the Rockets set themselves up for a run at back-to-back NBA titles. Drexler was finally an NBA champion, but as far as he was concerned, he became a champion long before that day he raised the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time.

"I was a champion long before I won an NBA title. When you dedicate yourself to your work and give it your all, you are a champion regardless of the result."

Clyde Drexler, NBA Philippines Bounce Back Strong: Beyond the Court

In an appearance by Drexler via a video conference organized by NBA Philippines, Clyde answered questions from fans and shared some important points regarding how he views his career in the NBA. When asked about how it felt to win an NBA championship with the Rockets in '95, he told viewers that he knew he was a champion before winning that first ring. Drexler then explained that he dedicated himself to the game and tried to get better every day, making him feel like a champion. According to Clyde, the little things got him over the hump, such as finding ways to improve while doing daily tasks.

"I used to squeeze tennis balls while watching TV so I could improve my grip... Or do calf drills when on the stationary bike. I found ways to get better even while doing daily tasks."

Clyde Drexler, NBA Philippines Bounce Back Strong: Beyond the Court.

When Rudy Tomjanovic said, "never underestimate the heart of a champion," this is likely what he meant. It is fascinating to learn of these stories of how dedicated some of the NBA's greatest are to the game of basketball. Even something meant to be leisurely such as watching TV can involve some improvement related to the game when competing against the world's best players. For Clyde, this is what being a champion was all about and what drove him during his playing career.

"If we were playing a non-playoff team, my teammates would almost have to wake me up for the game. If it was the Playoffs in the Western Conference, I would not be able to sleep the night before games because I would be so excited to go up against the best players in the world."

Clyde Drexler, NBA Philippines Bounce Back Strong: Beyond the Court.

When the players of the 80s and 90s say that they were competitive to the n-th degree, stories like these help me understand why. As with all things, players and their competitive nature have evolved. Of course, they are just as competitive, but it is perhaps manifested in different ways these days. If you are a young buck trying to make it to the league, take it from Clyde and start shopping online for tennis balls because it will take that and more to prepare to compete against the world's best.

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Michael Jordan was so much in Drexler's head he wasn't willing to show anything that could be interpreted as weakness - even the smallest, simplest mistakes.

Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan

© USA TODAY Sports

Michael Jordan wasn’t immediately on board for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He already had an Olympic gold medal from Los Angeles in ’84. The possibility of playing on the greatest team ever assembled intrigued MJ, but not because it meant winning was a sure thing. ”My only reason for going was to see how the other guys competed. I knew how I practiced, I wanted to see how everybody else practiced and competed” explained Jordan to Jackie MacMullan. It was a scouting and psyops mission, and no one felt it more than Clyde Drexler.

Two left shoes

The iconic moment from the 1992 playoffs was Michael Jordan shrugging his shoulders after draining six consecutive threes right in Clyde Drexler’s and the Portland Trail Blazers’ faces. 

But winning in the Finals wasn’t enough for MJ. As David Halberstam described in his book “Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made “it didn’t take long for Jordan to remind Drexler of what had happened not long ago, and he did it in front of the entire Dream Team during practice. “Didn’t I just kick your ass? … Anything here look just a little familiar? … Think you can stop me this time, Clyde? … Better watch out for the threes, Clyde.” 

This was exactly what Chuck Daly was afraid of, that the team won’t function as a unit because everyone would be seeing their NBA competitors and not Team USA teammates. We know that didn’t happen, and many unexpected friendships were created that summer. But no one wanted to show any weakness, particularly Drexler in front of Jordan. One day, a lot of gear was delivered, and players rushed to grab as many as possible. In the rush, Drexler made a mistake. 

“Clyde grabbed two left shoes, but he didn't want to say anything, so he went through practice with two left shoes, till someone actually noticed and I can remember Michael saying 'That's kinda' why you guys lost to us.'”

Chris Mullin, The Icons Club

Imagine how important it was not to give MJ a thing as irrelevant as “damn, I grabbed two left shoes” when Clyde decided the smart course of action is to spend the entire practice in two left shoes. That’s how much Jordan was under his skin.  

Unexpected friendship

Given all that happened in the playoffs and the begging of Team USA training camp, you’d think Drexler hated MJ’s guts. He actually took all the trash-talking as a compliment. “I loved it, that means you’re a real threat. But on the other side, don’t think we weren’t coming for him.” 

As we know from multiple stories about MJ, Kobe, and other legends - if you stand up to them and can back it up with game, that’s how you earn their ultimate respect. Out of all the unexpected NBA friendships that were created in the summer of ’92, the one between Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler was most surprising. 

“We play golf, joke around, text each other - that's the product of what the Dream Team did. We talk ALL THE TIME.”

Michael Jordan, The Icons Club

Drexler confirmed they try to get together as much as possible, particularly if there’s a chance to hit the golf course. From an immense amount of trash talking and two left shoes to becoming close friends - the miracle of the Dream Team.