Former Chicago Bulls guard Craig Hodges told DJ Vlad of Vlad TV shortly after ESPN’s “The Last Dance” docuseries came out in 2020 that NBA legend Michael Jordan thought Clyde Drexler was just as good as him.
However, Jordan didn’t think Drexler knew how to play the game.
“Not every great athlete is marketable,” Hodges said. “I remember having a conversation one time. It was like four of us, MJ included. And the conversations came up about Clyde Drexler. And MJ said this: ‘Clyde Drexler is just as good as me. He just don’t know how to play the game.’ And we ain’t talking about basketball.”
Hodges brought up Jordan’s comments about Drexler while discussing Jordan’s marketability with DJ Vlad. Jordan and Drexler may have had similar talent on the court, but Drexler didn’t know how to use it to his advantage to become a global icon like Jordan.
Jordan and the Bulls faced off against Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals. The series was sold to NBA fans as the battle between Jordan and Drexler, the two best shooting guards in the league.
During the 1991-92 regular season, Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, winning the MVP Award. Meanwhile, Drexler put up 25.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
Even though Jordan won MVP, Drexler was just as dominant as a scorer and averaged more rebounds and assists.
During “The Last Dance” docuseries, Jordan admitted he was offended when pundits compared Drexler to him. MJ was so angry Drexler was being compared to him that he attacked the Blazers guard the entire ’92 Finals.
Jordan opened the 1992 Finals by hitting six 3-pointers in the first half and scoring 39 points in Game 1. The Bulls defeated the Blazers in six games to capture their second straight championship.
Jordan averaged 35.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists and won Finals MVP for the second consecutive season.
Drexler put up 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game against the Bulls in the 1992 Finals. However, he only shot 40.7% from the field. Meanwhile, Jordan shot 52.6% overall.
Jordan and Drexler were teammates on the 1992 United States Men’s Olympic basketball team. Even though they got along, it must have been awkward for Drexler to play with the guy who had torched him a few months prior.
Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 and gave one of the finest speeches ever. He finished his NBA career with averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 1,072 games with the Bulls and Washington Wizards.
Drexler didn’t win six rings, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs and 10 scoring titles like Jordan. However, he had a wonderful career and made the Hall of Fame in 2004.
Drexler won his lone championship in 1995 as a member of the Houston Rockets. He finished his NBA career with averages of 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 1,086 games with the Blazers and Rockets.
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