Sports Nicknames - The Glide

Drexler attended high school at Sterling in Houston before moving to Houston Cougar's Men Basketball team to compete at the College basketball level. He played for them between 1980 and 1983. At the 1983 NBA Draft, Drexler was picked up by the Portland Trailblazers, where he stayed till 1995.



The Glide:

At the University of Houston, Clyde Drexler got a unique nickname that stayed with him till the end of his career and even beyond that. He was famous for his amazing speed and athleticism on the playing court. He was a great finisher who possessed an acrobatic dunk. His consistent performances earned him the nickname of "The Glide."

The ease with which Drexler scored points made his teammates wonder as if he had that little extra half a second during which he could remain airborne. This was the major reason why he was nicknamed "The Glide."

Clyde, The Glide Drexler, is indeed among the finest NBA players of all time. And the nickname does justice to his ability and skillset.

Though there was only one famous nickname of Clyde, it was enough to fetch him all the fame he needed. It rhymed so well that fans took great pleasure in chanting his nickname in the arena.

The Glide became synonymous with Clyde.


The Dream Team:

This nickname did not specifically belong to Clyde Drexler. Instead, the nickname Dream Team was used to refer to the US Basketball team in 1992 that won the Gold Medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. The team was composed of all-star players such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and Charles Barkley and thus was nicknamed The Dream Team.


Achievements and Performances:

As an NBA player, Clyde played for Portland Trailblazers between 1983 and 1995. However, as soon as he moved to Houston Rockets, he won his first-ever NBA championship.

Overall, he made it to the NBA All-Star 10 times while also being a part of the All-NBA first team in 1992.

Clyde Drexler was included in both the anniversary teams of the NBA. He was part of the NBA 50th and NBA 75th Teams.

As a tribute to the shooting guard both of his past franchises, Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, retired the jersey number 22 that once belonged to him. Moreover, Houston Cougars also retired jersey number 22.

While playing for the US National Basketball Team, Drexler won the gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games and the FIBA Americas Championship 1992.


Hall of Fame:

In 2004, Drexler was included in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as an individual. In 2010, he made it to the hall of fame as an important member of the Dream Team.

Following his retirement, he took up coaching roles with Denver Nuggets.

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