Barkley said Drexler couldn’t hide the insecurity he had always felt about Jordan.
Every NBA era has its most epic rivalry, and many would agree that back in the 90s, the perceived tension between Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan was one of the most intriguing conflicts at the time. According to Charles Barkley’s recollection, Drexler harbored feelings of jealousy towards MJ the entire time.
The way Barkley sliced it, “Clyde The Glide” was an exceptional player in his own right. But despite Drexler’s success and extraordinary skill set, Chuck believed that he was envious of the attention and adoration that surrounded Jordan his entire career.
“I think Clyde has always been jealous of Michael (Jordan), to be honest with you,” Barkley said on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000 in 2012. “I think he’s always wanted to be compared to Michael. Hey, we all want to be compared to Michael, but we’re not. Clyde was a great player, but there was always that jealousy of Michael.”
Jordan regularly had his way with Clyde, although Drexler had some good moments against MJ especially in game 4. Game 4 was his best showing and I’d say he was player of the game, but his performances in the last two games of the series proved to be Portland’s death knell. pic.twitter.com/92kioJynG1
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There was friction between MJ and Clyde
Throughout their stellar careers, Drexler and Jordan were often compared to each other, with NBA fans and analysts regularly debating who was the superior player. Barkley observed that while the Blazers legend was certainly celebrated, he seemed irked that he could never quite escape the shadow of MJ’s greatness.
As far back as “Sir Charles” can recall, that narrative continued until The Dream Team was mustered and flew to Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics. Based on Barkley’s description, neither Jordan nor Drexler voiced their true feelings about their unspoken feud, but the entire Dream Team felt it in the atmosphere.
“That was one of the incidents and things about the Dream Team, Clyde was trying to play like it was Game 7 against Michael, and that’s probably not a good idea,” Barkley revealed. “When Michael is driving his kids to school, he thinks it’s Game 7.”
Barkley called a foul on Clyde
Unsurprisingly, Barkley also caught wind of Drexler’s infamous distasteful comment about Magic Johnson’s HIV diagnosis. It can be recalled that in Jack McCallum’s 2012 book entitled “Dream Team,” Drexler was quoted saying, “Everybody would feel sorry” for Magic upon learning that he was HIV positive.
In his defense, “Clyde The Glide” once addressed it and denied saying anything along those lines. The incident occurred several years ago, but Barkley was evidently trying to be as safe yet real as possible about the issue. For Chuck, McCallum has a reputable resume in the industry, and more importantly, he had no reason to put Drexler in a bad light.
“I like Clyde Drexler, but Jack McCallum is a great guy, and I don’t think he would misinterpret anything,” Barkley added. “I saw some of the statements. I thought they were not very cool at all. I don’t think Jack’s going to make up … first of all, he doesn’t have to make up anything. … If I had to believe somebody, I would probably believe Jack McCallum.”
Magic refused to be affected by Clyde’s comment
Regardless of the truth, one thing sure was that Drexler’s allegedly hurtful comment caused quite a stir. Nevertheless, Johnson chose to stay positive and resilient.
Instead of allowing the comments to bring him down, Magic focused on his inner strength and refused to let the negativity affect him. But simultaneously, Magic expressed disappointment over Drexler’s seeming lack of class.
“I think that Clyde was a guy who always fought for more publicity,” Johnson once said about the incident. “A guy who probably thought that he should deserve more credit, but you know, if he felt like that, I’m okay with it. I’m not a guy who’s going to be upset that he said these type of things.”
“You want to make these comments 20 years later, but at the end of the day, I got to take the high road. I don’t have time to worry about what a guy felt like then. I’m a guy who just looks forward,” he added.
Everybody knows that every story has two or sometimes even three sides. In the case of Drexler’s publicized conflicts with Jordan and Magic, Barkley may be on point, but fans should never use this to criticize the Portland legend.
Whatever feud existed between him, Johnson, and MJ, Drexler’s legacy and contributions to the game speak for themselves and, therefore, should still be recognized. As fans, we should be able to understand that feuds sometimes happen in the NBA.
Moreover, we should remember that Drexler’s greatness as a player is defined by his raw talent, dedication, and work ethic rather than by his feuds with his foes and fellow NBA superstars.
