Clyde Drexler - One of the most graceful athletes ever to step onto a basketball court, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler earned his nickname for his seemingly effortless glides to the basket. Drexler's explosive first step helped him blow by defenders for his patented flights to the front of the rim. His jumping ability and quick feet were complemented by his perimeter game, making Drexler one of the most difficult players of his era to guard. He enjoyed an electric collegiate career at the University of Houston where he became the only player in school history to accumulate 1,000 points, 900 rebounds and 300 steals. A first-team All-America in 1983, he led the famed “Phi Slamma Jamma” Cougar team to the 1982 and 1983 Final Four.
Selected 14th in the 1983 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, after 12 seasons Drexler was the team's career scoring (18,040), rebounding (5,339) and steals (1,795) leader, and led the team to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. After being traded from Portland in 1995, Drexler joined his former college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon to lead the Houston Rockets to their second NBA Championship. A ten-time NBA All-Star, Drexler earned All-NBA First-Team honors in 1992, was a Second Team selection in 1988, 1991 and a Third Team choice in 1990, 1995. Named as one of the NBA's fifty greatest players in 1996, when he retired in 1998, Drexler was one of only three players in NBA history to collect 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists. He finished his career with 22,195 career points (20.4 ppg), 24th best in league history. Drexler was a member of the 1992 Dream Team that won the Olympic Gold Medal in Barcelona.
