Clyde Drexler

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Drexler's arrival in Houston was a homecoming. He lived in the South Park area in Houston, Texas, as a child and attended Ross Sterling High School there. 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. The trade reunited him with his college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon, with whom he had played at the University of Houston as part of the "Phi Slama Jama" basketball fraternity. In the first round of the 1995 playoffs, while down two games to one against the Utah Jazz, Drexler led the Rockets in scoring with 41 points while Olajuwon added 40 in a 123–106 win. Houston would go on to win the deciding Game 5, and then also win every remaining elimination game on their postseason run. In the finals, the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic, with Drexler averaging 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.

In Their Own Story

The 1995 playoffs were a test of resilience for Drexler and the Rockets. After finishing the regular season with a record of 47–35, they entered the postseason as the 6th seed in the Western Conference. On May 5, during the first round while down two games to one against the Utah Jazz, Drexler led the Rockets in scoring with 41 points while Olajuwon added 40 in a 123–106 win. Houston would go on to win the deciding Game 5, and then also win every remaining elimination game on their postseason run. In the finals, the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic. In his third and final NBA Finals appearance, Drexler averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. Prior to the start of the 1995–96 NBA season, the Rockets won the 1995 McDonald's Championship, with Drexler being named the tournament's MVP.

Reader's Guide

Clyde Drexler played his last three full seasons with the Rockets after being traded from Portland in 1995. The 1995–96 season saw him average 19.3 points per game in 52 games played, owing to knee and ankle injuries. The Rockets dispatched their first-round opponent in the Lakers to face the Seattle SuperSonics. Drexler led the team in a variety of categories in the series such as rebounds (twice), points (twice), and assists (once), but the Sonics eliminated the Rockets in four games. In the 1996-97 season, the Rockets traded for Charles Barkley before the year started. Drexler had a hamstring injury; he was named to the All-Star Game, but he did not play in what ended up as his final selection. Drexler played a total of 62 games while averaging eighteen points a game with six rebounds and 5.7 assists. The Rockets finished 57–25 and made it all the way to the Conference Finals against the Jazz, who won in six games. The 1997–98 season was his final season in the NBA. He played in 70 games and averaged 18.4 points a game with 4.9 rebounds.

Did You Know?

• Drexler was traded to Houston on February 14, 1995, in exchange for Otis Thorpe, the draft rights of Marcelo Nicola, and a 1995 first-round draft pick.
• In the 1995 playoffs, Drexler scored 41 points and Olajuwon added 40 in a 123–106 win against the Utah Jazz while down two games to one.
• Drexler was named MVP of the 1995 McDonald's Championship, which the Rockets won prior to the 1995–96 season.
• Drexler was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004 for his individual career.
• Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon were college teammates at the University of Houston as part of the 'Phi Slama Jama' basketball fraternity.