Former Chicago Bulls shooting guard Craig Hodges once shared an interesting story about Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler.
Jordan’s View on Drexler:
In an interview with DJ Vlad, Hodges revealed that Jordan thought Drexler was as talented as him but didn’t know how to play the game properly. “Not every great athlete is marketable,” Hodges said. He recalled a conversation where Jordan said, โClyde Drexler is just as good as me. He just doesnโt know how to play the game.โ Interestingly, they weren’t talking about basketball skills alone.
Hodges explained that while Jordan and Drexler had similar talent on the court, Drexler couldn’t leverage it to become a global icon like Jordan did. The 1992 NBA Finals featured a showdown between the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, marketed as a battle of the top two shooting guards: Jordan and Drexler.
The 1991-92 Season Stats:
During that season, Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, winning his third MVP award. On the other hand, Drexler posted impressive numbers too: 25 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game.
Even though Jordan won MVP honors that year, fans noticed that Drexler was also dominant in scoring and had better averages in rebounds and assists.
The Last Dance Revelation:
In “The Last Dance” docuseries, Jordan admitted he felt insulted when people compared him to Drexler during those times. “Clyde was a threat,” said MJ in the documentary series but added he took offense at being compared to him because he believed there was no contest based on his performance back then.
Jordan started the ’92 Finals strong by hitting six three-pointers in Game 1’s first half alone and scored a total of 39 points in that game! The Bulls went on to beat Portland in six games for their second consecutive championship victory.
Fans sometimes wonder why comparisons bother players so much; maybe it’s all part of what drives them!
Jordan averaged an incredible 35.8 points during those Finals along with solid stats across other categoriesโearning him another Finals MVP title Meanwhile; despite putting up good numbers (24 .8 PPG), Clyde struggled with shooting consistency at just over forty percent from field goals overall against Chicagoโs defense machine led by none other than His Airness himself who shot above fifty-two percent!
Teammates Turned Rivals:
Interestingly enough after such intense competition between them earlier that summer both legends found themselves playing side-by-side representing Team USA later same year Olympics held Barcelona Spain where undoubtedly some awkward moments must have arisen given recent history events transpired courtside months prior…
Jordan ended career inducted Hall Fame back โ09 boasting lifetime averages thirty-plus point games numerous accolades including five MVP awards Defensive Player Year six championships ten scoring titles among others while Clyde too enjoyed successful run eventually making into prestigious HOF class โ04 securing lone championship ring Rockets mid-nineties finishing respectable twenty-plus point average career stats overall proving indeed formidable opponent worthy respect admiration alike despite lacking certain flair perhaps possessed counterpart transcended sport itself beyond mere mortal realms…
