Drexler, Clyde
Basketball
b. June 22, 1962, New Orleans, LA
A member of the famed "Phi Slamma Jamma" team at the University of Houston, the 6-foot-7, 222-pound Drexler averaged 14.4 points a game in his three-year career there. He left school after his junior to enter the NBA draft pool in 1983 and was chosen in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers.
He was a part-time player as a rookie and became a starting guard in his second season, 1984-85. Drexler suddenly blossomed as a scorer in 1987-88, when he averaged 27.0 points a game. Very fast and agile despite his size, Drexler was a master on the fast break and also had a good outside shot.
Named to the All-NBA third team in 1990 and to the second team in 1988 and 1991, Drexler was a first team selection in 1992, when he averaged 25.0 points a game. He missed much of the 1992-93 season with a back injury.
During the 1994-95 season, Drexler was traded to the Houston Rockets, the defending NBA champions, who needed more firepower at guard. Drexler helped them win their second straight title. He retired after the 1997-98 season.