Clyde Drexler: Clyde the Glide [Hardcover]

Clyde Drexler (Author), Kerry Eggers (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2004

Through 15 years as an NBA player, Clyde Drexler served as a model for the perfect professional athlete. He played with elegance and flair, with leadership and poise, with integrity and an ability to come through in the clutch. He led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice and helped the Houston Rockets win the NBA championship in 1995. A 10-time All-Star, a member of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, and now a member of BasketballÂ’s Hall of Fame, Drexler reached the top of his profession without revealing many of his inner thoughts on himself, his team, and the game. Now, five years beyond his retirement as a player, Clyde the Glide is ready to talk. For the first time, one of the greatest guards in basketball history sounds off on a variety of subjects, including the state of the NBA, how he learned whom not to trust, the innate badness of certain referees, and how some current NBA owners "donÂ’t know what the hell they are doing." Drexler takes readers through his days growing up in a single-parent household in Houston, where he became a local legend and teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon to guide the University of Houston into the NCAA Final Four twice in the early 1980s. He offers thoughts and background on his glorious 12-year run as the leader of the Trail Blazers and the most popular player in the history of the franchise, followed by his return home and the fitting sendoff to his career with a title as a member of the Rockets. Drexler reminisces about his former teammates and the greats of the game who became his friends and foes through the years. He also discusses his ideas on what can be done to make the NBA better. Clyde the Glide is a must-read book authored by an athlete who is unleashing a career full of emotions for the very first time. Clyde the Glide also includes an in-depth interview with Clyde Drexler that will take readers Beyond the Book. This very candid, personal interview with Clyde shot on location at Drexler's BBQ in Houston will give fans even more insight into his life. Highlights from the DVD include Clyde's stories about his Dream Team teammates, an informative round of name associations, and his reflections on being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kerry Eggers has spent his entire career covering sports in the city of Portland. For 25 years he covered a variety of sports for The Oregon Journal and The Oregonian, including 11 years as an NBA writer and beat writer for the Trail Blazers. In 2001 he moved over to the new Portland Tribune as the senior sports writer and columnist. This is the fourth book for the Corvallis native, a three-time Oregon Sports Writer of the Year Award winner. Eggers is the father of three boys.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 410 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC; Har/DVD edition (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582617422
• ISBN-13: 978-1582617428
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,333,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Clyde the Glide", August 23, 2004

By 

DrexlersDaddy (Troutdale, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clyde Drexler: Clyde the Glide (Hardcover)

Once again Clyde shows why he was one of the most classiest players and person in the NBA. He is one true Hall of Famer. I highly recommend this book for the true Sports fan!!!!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A shining example, March 13, 2006

By 

Glenn Speake (Forest Grove, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clyde Drexler: Clyde the Glide (Hardcover)

Clyde Drexler was always my favorite player not only for his on the court play but for his off the court demeanor. He was always friendly and a perfect gentlemen. This book just reenforces those attributes and shows a man who is content and proud of his career.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Oregon native who loved watching The Glide, October 27, 2005

By 

CJ Gish "CJ" (Nampa, ID) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clyde Drexler: Clyde the Glide (Hardcover)

This was a great book about one of the nicest, classiest players the NBA has produced. Very insiteful, lots of good comments from family, friends, former coaches and players. I also have always loved reading anything that Kerry Eggers writes -- one of Oregon's best sports writers of all time.

The only one little thing that was missing for me -- being an absolute sports junky -- were the lack of season-by-season stats that any great biography has at the end of the book. There's nothing better than looking over regular season and playoff stats about the individual you're reading about like in so many other great sports books.

The copy I purchased also had a DVD included with an interview of Clyde. I was hoping to pop it in and see some highlight material from his playing days, but all that you see is Clyde sitting in a chair the entire DVD saying basically the same things he said in the book. Kind of a downer also.

All-in-all, I rate it a five for just a solid sports book (minus stats, mind you). This coming from a Blazer fan you loved the teams of the 80s and early 90s when Clyde, Porter, Kersey, Buck, Duck and Uncle Cliffy were lighting up the NBA!