Clyde Drexler Dominated on the Dream Team but Doesn’t Get the Respect He Deserves Compared to Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan
Bernd Becker 
Clyde Drexler is regarded as one of the most dominant players on the Dream Team and was a key part to what made that team so formidable. Still, many people see him as “lesser” than other members of that squad like Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley despite being an MVP in his own right for four consecutive seasons with Portland.
Clyde Drexler was a member of the “Dream Team” that dominated in 1992. Clyde Drexler has been overshadowed by Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, who were on the team with him. Read more in detail here: michael jordan net worth.
Clyde Drexler, a former Portland Trail Blazer and NBA Hall of Famer, never seems to receive the credit he deserves. He was a member of the 1992 Dream Team, among other things.
During the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Clyde the Glide provided an excellent two-way wing presence for Team USA. However, his contributions appear to be overshadowed by the other storylines that emerged during those games, such as Charles Barkley’s infamous elbow thrown at an Angolan player and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s mission to shut down Croatian star Toni Kukoc, with Pippen later ripping his future teammate.
Drexler never had a plot or a well-known character that gained worldwide attention. He just went out and played like one of the NBA’s finest wing players. Isn’t that something to rejoice over?
Clyde Drexler and the other members of the Dream Team were overshadowed by Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan.
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Clyde Drexler was considered one of the top players in the NBA heading into the 1991-1992 season.
Drexler was an instant hit with the Blazers, but it wasn’t until the late 1980s that he really became a superstar. During the 1988-89 season, he was rated seventh in box plus-minus (a measure of a player’s effect on the court) and value above replacement player. When Portland faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals in 1991-92, he was fourth in those categories.
Jordan’s individual and team victories appeared to enhance his fame to an altogether new level during those Finals, which were billed as Michael vs. Clyde. Mike had resoundingly addressed the question of who was the greatest player in the world. Money’s international status was undeniable in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Charles Barkley became one of the most well-known individuals at the Olympics due to his charm and outspokenness. The Round Mound of Rebound, as described in NBA TV’s 2012 Dream Team documentary (h/t YouTube), drew crowds on a regular basis.
Both guys were outstanding on the floor as well. Barkley was the leading scorer for Team USA, averaging 18.0 points per game while also averaging 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 steals. MJ, on the other hand, averaged 14.9 points, 4.8 assists, and a staggering 4.1 steals a game.
Mike and Chuck were the center of attention both on and off the court. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, on the other hand, relished their positions as the Dream Team’s senior statesmen. The players also had a lot of social fun, with Sir Charles rapidly realizing that he should never drink with Bird.
Despite the lack of enthusiasm from his colleagues, Drexler deserves praise for his outstanding performance.
Drexler provided the Dream Team with a formidable two-way presence.
Clyde Drexler (L, R), Charles Barkley (R, L), and Michael Jordan (R, R) | Icon Sportswire and Brian Bahr/AFP via Getty Images | Left to Right: Clyde Drexler (L, R), Charles Barkley (R, L), and Michael Jordan (R, R)
In Barcelona, Clyde Drexler could have struggled. He’d just lost in the NBA Finals to Jordan, and MJ made matters worse by targeting him in intrasquad scrimmages.
The Glide, on the other hand, provided the Dream Team with a premier wing presence capable of dominating in the paint.
Drexler scored 10.5 points per game and shot an incredible 72.1 percent from outside the arc. He was a competent playmaker, averaging 3.6 assists per game and 3.0 rebounds per game. The Blazers’ star had an effect on the defensive end as well, with 20 thefts in eight games.
In the gold medal game versus Croatia, Drexler’s all-around abilities that made him so outstanding were on full show. The Glide finished with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, three assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
Jordan, on the other hand, outscored Clyde by 22 points in the gold medal game. Throughout Drexler’s career, this was a recurring motif.
Jordan, in particular, regularly eclipsed Drexler.
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Clyde Drexler would certainly be considered the finest shooting guard of his era if it weren’t for Michael Jordan. If the Blazers had taken Jordan second overall in the 1984 NBA Draft and shifted The Glide to small forward, the two might have been teammates. How many titles do you think that wing pair has won?
Jordan is only distantly tied to the majority of Drexler’s career. Because of Mike, he was passed over for several All-NBA First Team choices and never earned an MVP award. Thanks to Jordan and the Bulls, the Blazers’ star also lost out on a second ring.
This seemed to irritate Clyde as well. In 2018, The Glide said he was on par with Michael Jackson and might have been much greater if he had played more freely.
Drexler’s career is marred by comparisons to Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, which is terrible since he deserves his bouquets as one of the finest wing players in NBA history.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
Michael Jordan Told His Teammates In Private Clyde Drexler was on par with him, but he didn’t ‘Know How to Play the Game.’
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Clyde Drexler is a Hall of Famer and one of the best players in NBA history, but he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan are two other great players who have had successful careers in basketball, but they get more recognition than Clyde does. Reference: charles barkley net worth.
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