Michael Jordan told Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson the night before Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers that he would destroy Clyde Drexler.
Jordan was upset NBA pundits compared Drexler to him and MJ used that as motivation to torch Drexler and the Blazers.
“I’m working for NBC,” Johnson said in The Last Dance. “I’m covering the Finals. So the night before Game 1, we’re at Michael’s house playing cards. And he said, ‘You know what’s gonna happen tomorrow. I’m gonna give it to this dude.'”
During the 1991-92 NBA 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 the 1991-92 MVP Award, Drexler was just as prevalent as a scorer and averaged more rebounds and assists.
However, Jordan was offended that people compared Drexler to him.
“Clyde was a threat,” Jordan said in The Last Dance. “I’m not saying he wasn’t a threat. But me being compared to him, I took offense to that. Based on the way I was playing at that time, it wasn’t even close. So I attacked him every night.”
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 straight season.
Drexler put up 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game against the Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals. However, he only shot 40.7% from the field.
Meanwhile, Jordan shot 52.6% from the floor.
Jordan and Drexler were teammates on the 1992 United States Men’s Olympic basketball team. Even though they got along, it must have been uncomfortable 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. 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 titles, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs and 10 scoring titles like Jordan. However, he had a fantastic career and made the Hall of Fame in 2004.
Drexler won his lone ring 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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