Post by John on Mar 7, 2007 18:51:25 GMT -4
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer...
Clyde Drexler, who once dunked on a 12-foot goal, was one of the greatest dunkers of all-time and unlike many of his contemporaries who often wanted to prove there were other aspects of their game, Drexler never wanted to shy away from what he did best.
He wanted to dunk every shot.
"The dunk shot just provided a way to shoot a higher percentage shot and this game is about being efficient and what better way to be efficient than a dunk shot?" Drexler said. "Dunking and winning usually go hand-in-hand, 3-point shooting and losing usually go hand-in-hand - unless you're very good at it."
Drexler's reputation as one of the great dunkers started in college at the University of Houston and he brought the same ferocity to the NBA.
But despite Drexler's emphasis on the dunk as a high percentage shot, there was more to his game. In fact, he ended his career joining Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek as the only players in NBA history to top 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists.
"[Loving the dunk] didn't mean I didn't have a jump shot or everything else, but I always tried to shoot a higher percentage and as a result, most of the years in the league I had a winning record because [of that mind-set]," Drexler said.
Drexler had a winning record in college and a winning record in the NBA but he was close to becoming one of the great players never to win a title.
Drexler's heavily favored "Phi Slamma Jamma" University of Houston team lost to North Carolina State in the 1983 NCAA Tournament Final.
He led Portland to two NBA Finals (1990 and 1992) but the Trail Blazers fell short each time.
Drexler was traded to the Houston Rockets midway through the 1994-95 season, and reunited with college teammate, Hakeem Olajuwon, the two powered the Rockets from the sixth seed in the playoffs to the 1995 NBA title.
Clyde Drexler, who once dunked on a 12-foot goal, was one of the greatest dunkers of all-time and unlike many of his contemporaries who often wanted to prove there were other aspects of their game, Drexler never wanted to shy away from what he did best.
He wanted to dunk every shot.
"The dunk shot just provided a way to shoot a higher percentage shot and this game is about being efficient and what better way to be efficient than a dunk shot?" Drexler said. "Dunking and winning usually go hand-in-hand, 3-point shooting and losing usually go hand-in-hand - unless you're very good at it."
Drexler's reputation as one of the great dunkers started in college at the University of Houston and he brought the same ferocity to the NBA.
But despite Drexler's emphasis on the dunk as a high percentage shot, there was more to his game. In fact, he ended his career joining Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek as the only players in NBA history to top 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists.
"[Loving the dunk] didn't mean I didn't have a jump shot or everything else, but I always tried to shoot a higher percentage and as a result, most of the years in the league I had a winning record because [of that mind-set]," Drexler said.
Drexler had a winning record in college and a winning record in the NBA but he was close to becoming one of the great players never to win a title.
Drexler's heavily favored "Phi Slamma Jamma" University of Houston team lost to North Carolina State in the 1983 NCAA Tournament Final.
He led Portland to two NBA Finals (1990 and 1992) but the Trail Blazers fell short each time.
Drexler was traded to the Houston Rockets midway through the 1994-95 season, and reunited with college teammate, Hakeem Olajuwon, the two powered the Rockets from the sixth seed in the playoffs to the 1995 NBA title.