His production in l994-95 (a 21.8 scoring average) and his play in two full seasons in Houston after that proved that he and Foreman, like fine wines, did, indeed, age well. During the Blazers' trip to Japan, Drexler also discovered something else. After playing 11 seasons in what some New York writers in 1970 called "the backwater of the nation -- Portland, Oregon," he had become an international celebrity.

Everywhere he went, he encountered enthusiastic Japanese fans with posters and pictures of him that they had brought for his autograph. They cheered his every move on the court and he gave them a show.

His two television appearances in the NBA finals and eight appearances in NBA all-star games made him a tourist attraction -- the object of more photographs than Walter Mondale got in a Japan tour that same week.

Before the opening game in Japan, Drexler gave the fans a few thrills with some pre-game dunking and was rewarded with some of the strangest signs ever seen at an NBA game -- "Court of Blaze," "Yes Jam," "Jump Hoop," and a detailed drawing of Drexler that looked more like Mr. Magoo.

The American national anthem was performed by Alfie, a Japanese superstar who The Oregonian's Jeff Baker described as "looking like a cross between John Denver, Gary Glitter and 'Alf.'"

The ceremonial jump ball was tossed by Ichiro Suzuki, an outfielder for the Orix Blue Wave who later became a superstar himself for the Seattle Mariners and the first Japanese player to get 200 hits in America's major league.

Suzuki had one condition for his appearance at the game: An autographed basketball from Clyde Drexler.

"Keep watching the NBA, because it's fantastic. You're great," the diplomatic Drexler said to the fans after the game. The Japanese patrons, who paid as much as $250 per ticket to see Clyde Drexler, the superstar, wound up adoring Drexler, the gracious man.

Dexler's celebrity has remained so today, as evidenced last year when he went to the quarterfinals of ABC's hit reality show, "Dancing with the Stars" despite the fact that the three judges didn't like his body moves.

The young Clyde Drexler who came to the Blazers in 1983 as an an early entry in the NBA draft following his junior at the University of Houston was a brash thoroughbred who hadn't yet learned how to play within a structured system.

Blazer Coach Jack Ramsay frowned on the sometimes out-of-control, one-on-one play that characterized Drexler when he, Akeem Olajuwon and Larry Micheaux formed the Phi Slamma Jamma front line that led the Cougars to two straight trips to the NCAA Final Four.

"Clyde was a great college player whose feet rarely hit the ground," quipped then-Blazer scout Bucky Buckwalter.

With the Blazers during his rookie year, Clyde didn't get off the bench that much. He averaged only 17 minutes and 7.7 points a game -- hardly the numbers of a sure-bet Hall of Famer.

And while has acrobatric slashes to the basket thrilled the Blazer crowd, more often than not he would blow the shot after one too many double-pumps. Ramsay pointed out that even though young Clyde knew how to fly, he needed to learn how to finish.

Despite those early lumps, the Blazer brass, Ramsay included, were sold on Drexler's potential of becoming a major star. They didn't need to rush him because they already had veteran all-star Jim Paxson at that position.

Drexler's and Paxson's presence on Portland's roster helps explain why the Blazers, picking second in the 1984 NBA college draft, passed up North Carolina's Michael Jordan in favor of 7-foot-1 Kentucky center Sam Bowie. Had Portland drafted Jordan and kept Drexler, who can say for certain if either player -- sharing the same position, the same body styles and with the same set of skills -- would have blossomed the way they did.

One of seven children, Drexler grew up in Houston, a fan of the Houston Oilers and Astros. He. like Jordan, was a late bloomer in organized basketball, beginning his high school career as a junior. He was an all-city player as a senior.

You can tell a lot sometimes about a person's developing character and personality in sports by the childhood heroes they adopted. For Drexler, they were Arthur Ashe, Julius Erving and Walt Frazier -- exemplary role models all, with a passion for their sport.

Drexler has won friends whereever his life in the NBA has taken him. He and his wife, Gaynell, and their three children, sons Austin and Adam, and daughter, Elise, were visible in the community, at movie houses, in restaurants and at many entertainment events.

When he was traded to Houston in on Valentine's Day, 1995, Clyde vowed that after basketball was done, he would return some day to spend summers in his adopted Portland home.

While a Blazer, Drexler was active in a variety of community affairs, much of it to do with educating kids. He was chairman of The Basic Program, a statewide literacy project sponsored by the Trail Blazers and Avia. The program offered hands-on help for children to improve their academic achievement. It received numerous national and local awards and attracted much positive feedback from parents.

Clyde the Glide's basketball legacy in Portland and the NBA is assured. His No. 22 jersey was retired by the Blazers; he was a unanimous selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. -- only the third Blazer player (Bill Walton and Lenny Wilkens are the others) to make it.

Not only has Clyde been voted one of the top 50 players of all time, but he virtually monopolizes the Trail Blazer record book.

He is the all-time Blazer leader in games played (867); minutes played (29,526); points (18,040); rebounds (5,339); offensive rebounds (2,227); field goals attempted (14,425); field goals made (6,889); free throws attempted (4,816); free throws made (3,798); and in steals (1,795).

He's second to Terry Porter in assists (4,933) and 3-point field goals attempted (1,531); third to Porter and Cliff Robinson in 3-point field goals made (464); fourth in blocked shots (594); fourth in defensive rebounds (3,112); and ninth in all-time free-throw percentage (.789).

In the 55-year history of the NBA, Drexler ranks 18th all-time in scoring with 22,195 points and is fourth all-time in steals with 2,207.

Talk about consistency, Clyde's teams in his 15 seasons in the league never missed the playoffs and his career scoring average in both the regular season and the playoffs is the same: 20.4 points per game.

Perhaps the most impressive statistical achievement in Drexler's storied career is the kind of thing that would make fantasy league players salivate: He compiled more than 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 6,000 assists and 2,000 steals during his career -- the only player in NBA history to do it.

That distinction clearly shows his versatility and his value to his team. It measures his strength, endurance, his conspicuous unselfishness and his total mastery of the fundamentals of the game.

It is a record not matched by Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West or Charles Barkley. Not even the great Michael Jordan topped the 6,000-mark in rebounds and assists.

Clyde Austin Drexler's 15-year NBA career is a portrait of a craftsman at work.

Among the guards who have earned a fabled place in league history, only Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek and former Blazer Scottie Pippen snared more rebounds than Clyde. Shoot, pass, rebound, defend. Clyde Drexler did all those things as well, if not better than his peers -- past and present.

And that's why no other Trail Blazer basketball player will ever wear jersey No. 22.

Honoring our rich heritage this Tue, Nov 13 vs Pistons.  Celebrate the 1990 &1992 teams with special guests Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Duckwork.  Tickets are available now click here.

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