Basketball player Clyde Drexler: biography, sports career and interesting facts

Drexler Clyde is a basketball player who became famous for his performances for the Portland Blazers and Houston Rockets teams. The player is considered one of the top lineups in the history of the NBA. Especially effectively Clyde played in the attack. At the same time, Drexler forever secured the count in the list of the best attacking defenders.

early years

Drexler Clyde was born in New Orleans on June 22, 1962. A few years after the replenishment in the family, the baby's parents decided to move to Houston. It was here that Clyde successfully graduated from high school, and then enrolled in a local university.

Once in high school, the guy quickly won a place in the core of the student basketball team. Over the course of several playing seasons, Clyde Drexler secured statistics: at least 10 rebounds per match and 14 points scored.

In the end, the young talent helped his university team called "Cougars" reach the final stage of the competition in the student basketball league of the season 1982/1983. Outstanding abilities and leadership on the site allowed him to enter the symbolic team of the best young players in the United States.

Clyde Drexler: Sports career

The first professional contract was offered to the player in 1983 by the leadership of the Portland Trail Blazers team immediately after the completion of his performances for the university. In a series of starting matches for the new team, Clyde Drexler received no more than 17 minutes of playing time on the court. However, even this was enough to set the player at least 8 points in the team's piggy bank.

Quite soon Drexler found himself at the base. Already at the beginning of the second season in the NBA player gained an average of about 20 points, performed several interceptions and about 5 assists to the partners during the match. Later, his statistics only improved. Thus, Clyde Drexler began receiving regular invitations to participate in the match of all the stars.

Team successful basketball player - "Portland Blazers" - almost every season reached the stage of the playoffs. However, to fulfill the dream and get the champion's title Clyde and partners could not.

"Portland" with Drexler for the first time was in the finals in 1990. However, the team from Detroit, who came out as the winner from the 5-match series, won in the confrontation.

In the next season, the club of a young star managed to establish a record in the history of the NBA. At the end of the year the team won 63 wins with 19 defeats. However, even a unique indicator did not allow the team to get the champion's rings. In the final, Clyde's team lost to Los Angeles, where the legendary Magic Johnson was shining at the time .

The best in Drexler's career is rightly considered the season 1991/1992, in the end of which the player was recognized as one of the 4 leading league basketball players. And this is not surprising, since Clyde managed to earn an average of 25 points per game for his team. Caught in the final series, the "Blazers" managed to win against the "Chicago Bulls" Michael Jordan in only 2 bouts, having been defeated in 4.

A number of failures in the final games forced Drexler to move from "Portland" to the "Houston Rockets" team, with which the player signed the contract in 1995. After reuniting with several former university partners, he quickly adapted himself to the club, bringing the club on average 21 points per game. In the same year the team won the second title in a row. Thus, Drexler finally received the coveted champion ring.

Upon completion of the professional career of the player in 2001, Drexler Clyde permanently assigned the number "22". To date, the figure has been removed from the available options for new players in the Houston team.

Coaching activities

The decision on the start of coaching career Clyde Drexler took in 1998. Initially, the former player coached the university team of the home school. However, the work of the newly-made coach did not bring any noticeable results. So, for two seasons the student team managed to win only 19 wins with 37 defeats.

In 2008, Drexler decided to devote more time to the family. So I got a job as an assistant coach at the Denver Nuggets. Today Clyde is successfully engaged in commentary activities, serving matches of the native club "Houston Rockets".

Player Statistics

Player statistics are as follows:

• Participation in matches - 1086;
• Points scored for a career - 22195 (an average of 20.4 per game);
• Interceptions - 2207 (about 2 per match);
• Rebounds - 6677 (6.1 per game);
• Block shots - 719 (0.7 during the match);
• Scoring transfers - 6125 (an average of 5.6 per game).

Clyde Drexler: personal life

A famous basketball player is the father of four children, three of whom are from the current wife Heinell, with whom the player has been married since 1988. Sisters and brother Clyde are the owners of a network of catering establishments in Houston. Among them, special attention is attracted to the public grill restaurant 22 Bar, which is named in honor of the number that was worn on his T-shirt Drexler during performances in the NBA.

Interesting Facts

After completing his professional career, Clyde decided to try himself as an actor. He repeatedly took part in individual episodes of a number of American comedic series. A special success was brought to the newly minted actor in the sitcom "Married ... with children".

In 2007, Clyde Drexler was invited to the popular TV show "Dancing with the Stars". Here the partner of the former basketball player was the Russian champion in ballroom dancing Elena Grinenko. The pair managed to win only 8th position among 11 pairs.

It is noteworthy that during the performances in the NBA Drexler did not have a higher education. This once successful basketball player admitted to the public after the completion of his professional career. Officially a specialist in financial management, Clyde was only in 2001, graduating in absentia during university coaching.

Today, the legend of American basketball lives with his family in the suburbs of Houston, where he has a large mansion, golf courses and, in his own words, everything that is required for a happy life.