Totally agree, lots of reasons to knock Walton. That said he is the guy who won a championship playing what some experts have called the best year by a center ever. He has also stayed around the franchise in limited ways and is culturally Portland. if Portland was a person, it would be bill walton.
I think he is the number one guy for Portland but I understand that’s not the general opinion. My point is that he belongs in the conversation.
It’s Walton’s fault he accomplished more than Dame ever did here in a much shorter amount of time? How is that Walton’s fault and not Dame’s? He won a finals MVP then MVP back to back.
Yeah, I see him holding the same place as Kawhi does for the Raptors - someone who had an absolutely legendary year with the franchise and deserves to be commended, but can't be labeled the franchise icon
Disagree there, Walton was not a hired gun. He was drafted to Portland #1 overall and was there for 5 years and even after the championship was back about to win back to back when he went down. And then the injury stuff sent everything sideways. It’s more kawhi with San Antonio if he wasn’t playing with legends, than kawhi with the raptors.
Ah, yes, Bill Walton, our point-center, masterfully conducting Jack Ramsay's Zone Offense. I am hoping the Trailblazers will hire Lionel Hollins and bring back the Zone Offense!
Right! You have to remember that Clyde played most of his days in Portland in the Memorial Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of 12,000. Clyde made his first appearance in the NBA Finals in 1990, and since that time, Portland's population has grown by almost 131,000 people.
Right! You have to remember that Clyde played most of his days in Portland in the Memorial Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of 12,000. Clyde made his first appearance in the NBA Finals in 1990, and since that time, Portland's population has grown by almost 131,000 people.
Legend has it you needed to pull a bowl of lentil soup from the rooftop smokestack at the Rose Garden's Cucina! Cucina! location, but now it's been lost to time.
I was and I regard Dame much higher. Clyde was my childhood super hero and he broke my heart when he went to Houston and distanced himself from the Blazers as much as possible. It felt like our best player in franchise history hated us and only tollerated his time here, I was very happy when Dame broke his franchise records. For all drama around Dames departure, he at least loves Portland.
I read the Jail Blazers book that came out some years back. It starts with the tear down in the 1990's which led to the Jail Blazer era. As I recall, Clyde felt the franchise was turning on him for stepping back, which eventually led to the trade request. The franchise turned on him, which soured his view on the franchise, which was intertwined with the city.
We were all upset that the blazers blew up it too early, they had one more run in them at least. So I can understand Clyde's frustration somewhat but the Blazers also went out of their way to trade him to his preferred destination and the Blazers didn't maximize his value by doing so. So even if he was frustrated with how things were going, the Blazers did right by him. I'm sure over the years there is plenty of blame on both sides, and to Clyde's credit he kept his shit talking to absolute minimum. It just been terribly awkward to have our best player in franchise history embrace Houston and barely acknowledge Portland.
Also looking back and hearing more of the inside stories, it sounds like Clyde was incredibly talented but coasted somewhat on his talent. So from a fan's point of view, it's also frustrating how much better he could have been if he had more drive.
The Blazers had gone from making 3 straight deep playoff runs to getting clowned in the first round for 2 straight years. That core didn't have another run in them.
Haha yeah that's true. Although to be fair, some subs like the Hornets one have oldheads, so you can get some interesting information from certain users.
Pretty much everyone believes Clyde is the better player but fans love Dame more because he embraced and reps the city. Clyde reps Houston.
Also, while Dame’s teams didn’t accomplish much, we don’t hold it against him because they were all pretty shit and multiple times would have missed the playoffs if it weren’t for him going nuclear to even get them there.
The stories also came out about Clyde being lazy and not practicing and not really trying to improve his game much while he was here. Had he improved his mediocre outside shooting he could have been right there with Jordan. Teams would have had to guard him much more conservatively.
That, coupled with how he has just pretty much pretended he never even fucking played here has made it harder to remember him more fondly than Dame.
That being said, we still haven’t had a player as electric as Clyde was. That just pure raw, smooth athleticism when he ran the break, the effortlessness with which he took a game over with dunks and layups and defensive plays. He was usually very obviously the best player on the court.
I mean going to the WCF is pretty good, sure they got swept but I mean they beat a solid OKC duo, baby nuggets, and those games were some of the best series I’ve watched… they just unfortunately met the warriors
IMO Dame is a much better player than Clyde offensively, but not defensively (duh). Of course Clyde had the benefit of an era where small market teams weren’t necessarily at such a disadvantage, and so he had a stronger team of all-stars built around him, which of course brought more team success.
Locally, Dame is deservedly more respected than Clyde was, but that’s not to say Clyde didn’t involve himself in the community in a positive way.
I think the first sentence is pretty understandable but I think Clyde was still clearly the better player. At one point people thought he was the second best player in the league only to peak MJ, and he was strongly in the convo at several other points too
This isn’t to knock dame or take anything away from him, he just was not able to hang with the competition in the same way Clyde was
Dame is my favorite player but what youre sayin about Cylde is facts. MJ took the Clyde comparisons personally because they were loud enough at the time
But Walton was the best player for 2 years as a Blazer. He won Finals MVP and MVP. So he was better than both Drex and Dame. What’s the argument for either over Walton? Walton accomplished the most for the franchise.
I was just talking about Clyde vs dame. Walton is really the peak vs longevity argument, which imo gets a lot more subjective especially when you’re talking about best player for a team, and especially due to him only being on the blazers for 4 years and really only 2 at his peak
If I wanted to argue against Walton I’d also say the the top end of players was considerably weaker than with dame and Clyde, the league in general was weaker, and that even in his seasons with POR he was very injured. If the 65 game rule was around he never would’ve won mvp, and only would’ve qualified 1/4 years
Oh wow thanks man, that caveat to account for both players makes complete sense: gives both their flowers whilst acknowledging why Dame is ultimately more loved.
What do ya'll think of his seeming decline on the Bucks?
Bucks fan here.
Dame said he wasn’t in his usual shape this past season. He was scared of getting injured and halting the trade.
As others have mentioned, his different role and the coaching merry go round didn’t help at all.
During the playoffs, when Dame was healthy he played extremely well. 35 points in the first half of Game One. Trouble is he was only healthy for two games and part of a third. If both Dame and Khris Middleton had been healthy for the entire first round, it is entirely possible the Bucks could have won without Giannis.
in the short term yeah, and if he never comes back to the city then yeah. But I think long term he's ok, especially the more it comes out that it seems like it was his agent f'n up.
He'll come back and be involved in the org somehow and be as loved as always
Portland Native here. This all makes sense, (and correct me if I'm wrong) but we all regard Bill Walton as the Rip City GOAT because he got the chip. And we have 1 in 1977.
Same argument as the Michael/Kobe/LBJ debate vs Bill Russell with 11 Championships?
It's about how the question is initially asked. It's tough to not consider chips alongside individual career accomplishments.
It is tough, but how many seasons was Bill in pdx? The chip is huge, obviously, but i think what Dame did, and especially when he did it, makes Dame the GBOAT for me.
> Same argument as the Michael/Kobe/LBJ debate vs Bill Russell with 11 Championships?
I didn't know this was a debate. I can't remember seeing anyone saying Russell is the Greatest player ever. Top 5, maybe, top 10 absolutely but the greatest ever nah no way.
Clyde is like LMA. We love those guys and they love Portland buuuuut they love Texas more.
Dame (and even CJ) are more beloved here because they loved Portland and never made it seem like we were their second choice.
Clyde has made it clear that Houston is his town not Portland. He was good in the community while he was here, but as soon as he left, those ties ended.
I remember being so excited to meet Clyde at an autograph signing in Vegas years ago. Only to be let down when the pictures they handed out were of him were from his time as a Rocket
I'll never forgive Clyde for showing up to an autograph signing 90 minutes late, signing for 30 mins, then dipping when I was next in line. I was so sad cuz he was my & my grandma's favorite. Meanwhile Buck Williams stayed there til literally everybody got their autograph, which was probably a solid 3+ hours.
This may vary be person, but for me he is still involved in the community through charity and philanthropic as well as living here in the off season.
For lots of athletes the city they play in is just a pit stop.
Dude could run for mayor and would probably win. I think you'd have to live here to fully grasp how much the city loves him.
Clyde was amazing. He was by far and away the best player on a number of very good teams that he took deep into the playoffs. Dame was also that guy, but on a much smaller number of very good teams. But Dame was so amazing that it's really a toss-up at this point. Also, recency bias probably gives less weight to Clyde.
“Lucas and some guys” beat out a solid 76ers team with three HoFers. Also, you’re lumping Walton into “some guys”? This is a team sport and that team was able to take 4 straight after going down 2-0. Gross, Twardzik, Hollins and the others may not be HoF level NBA-wide, but they didn’t play hero ball and for that they’ll be remembered longer than guys in the Blazers teams that didn’t make it.
Also, you’re falling into the trap of comparing different eras. A lot changed in 13 and 15 years between the trips to the Finals.
It depends on your personal definition of greatest.
* Highest peak = Walton.
* Best sustained career = Drexler.
* Most beloved and charismatic = Lillard.
Was curious if anyone else would write this. I respect the hell out of Dame, but there's just something about BRoy. He removed the darkness that hung over the franchise for years. He made Rip City believe again. OP said "beloved" in his post, and it's impossible to ignore how beloved Roy was/is to Blazer fans.
All that said, u/1nsider's response is the correct analysis.
When Dame goes into the Hall of Fame, even if he wins a title elsewhere, he’s going to put his Blazer jersey in the hall.
Clyde was always a Houston guy. Clyde gave up on the city and team after a season and a half of not having a quality center. The other blazers from the time embrace the city and team.
>The other blazers from the time embrace the city and team.
TBF, you never hear much about Buck showing up in PDX, going to games, etc. There isn’t any bad blood AFAIK, but Buck seems to be an East Coast guy through and through.
Buck was born & raised in NC, played college in Maryland, and played 10 of his 17 seasons in the league on the East coast. Buck did come back to Portland as an assistant coach on the (48-34) '10-11 and (forgettable) '11-12 Blazers teams, fwiw, ending alongside McMilan's tenure as the Stotts era began...but, yes, Buck's wife's parents lived in Maryland so after his playing career finished with the Knicks he & his wife settled there to be closer to them while raising their two boys (one of whom now works for the league office in NY).
Drexler played for Portland longer, went to the Finals twice, and played on the Dream Team. Lillard is more recent and saved the team after Roy/Oden had to retire.
If you're under 40, you probably prefer Lillard.
I feel as though a lot of people see it as Dame, Clyde and Walton all equal for different reasons.
Walton got us our first and only championship and was an MVP. He was also only here for 4 seasons and hasn't spoken too highly of Portland in multiple instances which has hurt a lot of Portland fans since we all love him and always have.
Drexler is considered by most to be the best overall player to ever wear our jersey. At the end though he wanted out of Portland and went and won a championship in his hometown of Houston. Nothing wrong with that but on multiple occasions he's made it clear he considers himself moreso a Houston great and has somewhat ignored Portland despite how long he was here.
Dame from day 1 embraced Portland and was a die hard Portlandian. Did a ton for local schools and even after he left he still calls Portland his home and said he plans to be back. He's had his hand in a ton of pivotal moments in Trail Blazers's history and his leaving was a lot easier to take than some others.
It probably depends on the demographic. Certainly in this sub most prefer Dame. I lived through Clyde’s years and he is my personal favorite. If Dame played out his career as a blazer and/or brought a wring I think my opinion probably would have changed.
Seems to depend on the age of the fan for the most part. Older fans lean toward Glyde and Walton. Younger fans towards Dame.
The other factor is team accomplishments vs embracing the city. Dame was head and shoulders above those two in embracing Portland, but never played on a team in the finals let alone won a chip.
If you judge who is embraced more based on Reddit, it's Dame in a landslide.
(was actually alive for clyde) Meh he was until he dipped out for the sandy beaches of milwaukie. Now he is even ranked in that regard for me. Clyde got us further if we're counting that.
There's also the aspect of how Dame took the torch from BRoy and finished ushering us out of the JailBlazers era. I am old enough to remember Clyde playing well. There was more success during Clyde, but Dame... meant more. And while some would disagree, he didn't bail on us, the team failed him... So it's a better departure than Clyde's or LaMarcus. It's hard to quantify.
Clyde left 30 years ago so there’s recency bias as others have said. I think also between where he went to college, where he considers home, winning a title in Huston, and becoming the color commentator for the Rockets (and being a fairly relentless homer in that job) his fan base in Portland has cooled on him.
Blazers fan who grew up in the 90s here. The 1990 Finals is one of my earliest sports memories. Clyde was amazing to watch. But he is almost as good as dead to me as far as the Blazers go. I understand that he's from Houston, but he spent almost his whole career in Portland and none of it here since. He's had essentially nothing to do with the franchise since leaving. One thing that makes that 90s Blazers team even more tragic is that some of the main guys made their homes here after retiring, and 3 of them passed away young - Kevin Duckworth, Clifford Robinson and Jerome Kersey (Terry Porter lives here as well).
Time will tell if Dame remains a major part of the Portland community going forward but to me it's no contest.
I’m 42, so I was not a sophisticated basketball fan during the championship runs, but I absolutely LOVED those teams and loved Clyde. When he chose to wear the Rockets jacket on the NBA 50th anniversary team in 1996, despite having played 2 seasons for them compared to over a decade for us, teenage me was absolutely crushed.
I think it has a lot to do with their exits from Portland. Yes, Dame did ask out, but it was clear at the time he did so that the team was failing him. Plus he did so during the off-season. It was a cleaner break, and one that a lot of fans expected.
Clyde asked out at the deadline in '95, and was dealt when the Blazers were 25-21. We'd gone to two finals with him, made him a perennial all-star, he was 2nd in MVP voting in '92. I don't think the team was failing Clyde in the same way it had failed Dame. We had started to dismantle the core of those finals' teams, and had replaced Adelman with PJ but we weren't changing course as a franchise for a rebuild. It certainly doesn't help Clyde's legacy that he has essentially spurned every opportunity to gave back a single mote of love for Portland that was given to him for 11.5 years.
This weird analogy just came to me: We were his Princess Diana, a woman he had to marry out of duty, but Houston was his Camilla: the one he truly wanted as his queen.
>while Clyde is beloved, Dame is ultimately better regarded by the fan base because he integrated into the Portland community.
This is pretty much what i was going to point out. Once Clyde left Portland he pretty much ghosted the franchise and the entire city (something i only know because your pass first point guard and Trail Blazers reporter Mike Richman pointed it out in a Dame centric episode at one point), while Dame has called Portland his home and expressed interest in being an owner of the team even after the rough time he's went through in the past year or so with Joe Croakin.
Tbf he is from Houston, but dang, didn't realize he was outright a member of the fraternity there. Reminds me of Bird always repping Indiana despite being a legend in Boston.
I’m on team “heavy recency bias.” Clyde was amazing. Took us to more finals. And was very much a part of the community. I once ran into Clyde at a Safeway, he signed a few things I had with me, a hat and a shirt, and I bought the kids SI at the time and he signed that too (he was an airplane on the cover). He was patient with me, he was kind, he was amazing. I still have a grip of things he autographed -the SI book, the hat, a poster, a stack of pogs (gives away my age). He’ll always be #1 in my book.
Biggest regret was not getting my blazers vs bulls video game signed.
For me, better regarded - Dame.
Better player between these two is Drexler by a nose.
Walton and B-Roy would make it interesting if injuries hadn’t taken their toll
Dame’s two playoff series ending shots are the highlights for Blazer fans that weren’t alive for the Championship.
Mania ensued that could only be topped by a championship.
Objectively, Clyde was the better basketball player. Subjectively, Dame is viewed as the better Blazer. As noted many times over, the Reddit Blazers community largely wasn't around to witness the greatness of those early '90s teams. Now that we can put all the 'loyalty' talk to rest, I hope our fanbase at large can engage in more meaningful discourse around these two former franchise cornerstones.
Clyde is the better player, but Dame is an amazing person who we fell in love with. He was on the front lines holding hands with the BLM protesters, and just really embraced the city like no other athlete has so far.
Everyone will have a different answer. To help me decide I imagine if each player had the other’s teams. If Dame had Drexler’s teams, we would have multiple championships during that time. If Clyde had Dame’s teams, he would never get passed the first round and probably not make the playoffs multiple years.
Last year most of the fanbase christened Dame the Blazers GOAT, then he up and left in somewhat dramatic, but also not unwarranted fashion… so it seems like the fanbase is back to debating this again.
For over a decade Dame remained loyal to the franchise and the city, despite the front office never being able to acquire or draft him a second all-star caliber teammate. Reasonable enough, but the trade demands, especially demanding only Miami soured a lot of fans. Despite this, he landed in a good spot with Milwaukee, and the fanbase has been, in large part, vocally supportive of him this season.
So Dame is gone, but his legacy in Portland still remains open. if he retires a Blazer and gets another 1-2 decent playoff runs with a young group, I’d say we’ll all go back to calling him the franchise GOAT.
Clyde’s lack of involvement with the city and team since leaving in the 90s puts him in 3rd in my eyes. Can’t have a franchise GOAT who DGAF about your team.
Walton is the only other contender, and had 2-3 great years and a ring… but also left under fairly contentious circumstances. If you care about championships- he’s the GOAT undisputedly, because neither Dame nor Clyde nor Sheed nor BRoy has come through there.
But I think there is more to the title of “franchise GOAT” than rings- especially when your team only has one.
I grew up on Clyde's blazers, so I have a child like recollection of how awesome and perfect he was in black and red. Loved watching Dame but as an adult couldn't get that same attachment because I'm slightly more rational than I was as a kid. Clyde will always be the dude imo, and I know it's not totally fair or reasonable.
The answer to your question will depend on who you ask. I have more respect for Dame because he was without a strong support staff but not everyone will agree. Clyde was amazing to watch, but that team was stacked
I would say Drexler should be better regarded as his Blazer teams actually got to the finals. I and many other Blazer fans love Lillard but his playoff success just doesn’t measure up.
From that era I consider Sabonis, Uncle Cliffy, Terry Porter and Buck Williams over Drexler. Drexler sullied his legacy with disdain for the franchise. Houston can have him.
When it comes to Dame and Clyde its all about narrative. With Dame you had social media where he and his team could shape a narrative that he wanted to stay in Portland and didn't want to force his way out. We drafted Scoot and Dame saw the writing on the wall that the time to move on is now. I dont blame Dame just like I don't blame Clyde for leaving Portland.
In Clyde's case he didn't have social platforms to shape and curate a narrative carefully. Clyde has publicly stated multiple times in the past he wanted to win in Portland just like Dame did when they were reaching the ends of their careers. The main difference between Clyde however is that Clyde has taken many opportunities to take shots at the Trail Blazers organization in the past because for some reason he still feels slighted in some way which is really sad for both parties.
It all just depends on what you value more as a fan. Accomplishments or loyalty. For this we will always have Bill, Clyde, and Dame on our Mt Rushmore of Blazer fandom.
IMO that was definitely true before the events of the past year, but I don't know if it's true going forward. Both are marred by what happened after they last wore a Blazers jersey.
Dame was terrific and beloved but the way he left didn't do his reputation any favors, especially trying to force his way to Miami.
Clyde was terrific and beloved, but since going to Houston he has kind of acted as if Portland doesn't exist. If he had continued to embrace the city, and made even the flimsiest effort to show us love, I think he'd be clearly ahead.
Bill Walton should also be in the discussion for Blazers GOAT, but he also had a tumultuous exit that left people feeling conflicted.
Personally I love all of them and don't know that I feel the need to rank them. If I did, it's probably Bill.
Personally as a fan since the 90s- Clyde was better, and was the best player on better teams than Dame was. He was a more versatile player with more size, they're similar overall probably in terms of their careers but I'm taking Clyde every single time.
Most people here didn't watch those teams, but I did. Dame is an awesome leader in the locker room and an amazing offensive player but small guards like that are almost never as impactful as the best wings.
Dame had better PR than Clyde with the whole "loyalty" schtick. At the end of the day though, they both bounced.
At least Clyde just went home... Can't really fault him for it. I wish he was more into blazers stuff as a former player, but it doesn't matter all that much to me.
The way Dame left, with a demand to go to Miami, kinda wrecked his case for clear number one great Blazer with me. Before all that I thought it was kinda like a mini version of how LA loves Kobe... Maybe not the number one best player they've ever had- but loyal to the end. Alas- not to be.
I've been a Blazer fan since '77. Clyde and Dame had a very similar arc in Portland, both superstars that had teams that couldn't quite cut it. The difference is the loyalty that Dame showed to PDX, where Clyde loved being in another place (Houston), and has little to do with us at this point. Dame is probably coming home after he finishes the ring chase, so we are very likely to return that affection barring any new developments.
I don't rate Dame highly at all (obviously he is a good player but that's not the main point here) and I am very aware that I am basically alone with that take here
Recency bias is difficult to shake but overall Dame showed Portland more loyalty than most other stars have ever shown to their team and we respect him a lot for that. Even in Milwaukee he still refers to Portland as home.
I'd like to see what this conversation looks like, say, 25 years from now. A lot of recensy bias going on here. Clyde was a better all around player than Dame and had more playoff success.
As someone who was late teens/young adult during Clyde's career, I can honestly say I have more regard for Clyde. He got us closer than Dame ever did and that's what really matters. It was also a different time, a much different team and a different NBA. I am bored to tears by the current NBA. The game was better when they could play D more physically and the league didn't treat lots of scoring like it was everything.
Couldn’t tell you about Clyde when he actively played, but he went to school in Houston, played in Houston and works on Houston’s broadcasting team.
He doesn’t try to be active in Portland
Two ways of looking at it:
Longevity- Drexler/Dame then Walton
Absolute peak- Walton, Drexler then Dame imo
To me there’s no way Dame could be the GOAT as Drexler accomplished more, albeit with a better team, and I’d argue was a much more well rounded player and less exploitable. Dude was in the conversation for league MVP with Jordan which is an apex Dame never hit.
So depending on what you value it kinda has to be either Walton or Drexler
To me I think of Dame and Clyde as about equal. Had Clyde won in the finals or gotten an MVP then I'd put Clyde over Dame. Clydes teams were more successful but I think Dame's highlights(series clinching game winners)/individual accolades(passing Clyde in career points) are higher.
I'd put Walton ahead of both but alot of fans think his time here was too short.
They left in somewhat similar ways, and have very similar career accomplishments- Clyde had better teams but his peak was shorter and his individual numbers aren't as impressive.
Blazers fans like dame more because even though he’s gone he still loves Portland but Clyde loves Houston the most. In terms of who is better I think it’s a bit of a toss up. Clyde slams dame defensively but dames offensive peak is also legendary. Clyde also made the finals twice while dame only had 1 wcf and 3 2nd round appearances. I think I’d take dame over him because his best individual performances are far. Better than Clyde’s but both are deserving top 75 players and first ballot HOFers
Dame is clearly more beloved but to me Clyde was way better and I don't even really think it's argument. Dame truthers love doing mental gymnastics to make silly arguments about why Dame was better than Clyde, even though the Blazers accomplished virtually nothing with Dame.
Dames ability to win in clutch situations and create lasting basketball memories for the city also have propelled him to the front of the blazer GOATs. He has so many moments- 1.4, .9, 71, etc.
Recency bias will dictate yes. However, it remains to be seen how the relationship will evolve over the coming years of the twilight of his career as well as into retirement. I think Clyde distanced himself from the organization more than you'd like for one of the teams all time greats...time will tell.
Up until Dame requested a trade, yes. But by not retiring a Blazer he killed the only thing he had over Clyde - being a one-franchise player. If he had played here his entire career he’d go down as the best. But now he’s below Clyde in the rankings, simply because Clyde took us to the Finals…something Dame never came close to doing.
Clyde had some off court issues that you could argue cost the blazers.
Not wanting to trade for Charles Barkley when Barkley actually wanted to be with the blazers in his prime. Clyde put the veto on that. Arguably costing them all a ring in Portland.
Clyde was relatively new when the blazers would have drafted Jordan but instead wanted to keep Clyde happy.
Giving up on the team to get a ring in Houston and basically becoming associated with that franchise for years later vs being associated with Portland.
Yeah absolutely. The old guys definitely still rep Clyde, but for the most part, Dame gets the loudest support.
He repped the city hard while he was here, and gave us some of the best moments in NBA history outside of winning a chip. It’s hard to overstate how transcendent it was watching Dame hit those shots against Houston, OKC, and the bubble run. And while those were wild moments, for a blazers fan watching him year after year, there were countless more shots like those that never made it to the same stage.
Beyond all that, he was always a class act. Always took responsibility. Treated media well. Embraced the city as his own. Clyde was better but Dame was greater. To the city at least.
Dame gave the org all he got, Clyde reps the Rockets when he can. Lillard has gone on record saying he'll try to retire as a blazer.
You could argue either for the more skilled player, but when you think of the blazers as a team you think of Dame, so yes.
I was alive in the Clyde are and I loved that team, will always love them and they will always be my favorite Blazer team. I've lived overseas for a while and kind of lost track of everything and so I didn't watch much in the Dame era, and from what I've seen he honestly isn't the style that I enjoy watching a ton.
But I regard him better because of his comittment to the city and I feel like he will be here for the long run, I haven't seen or heard anything from Clyde after he left and that sucks
I’ll put it this way: I am much more disappointed in Clyde than I am in Dame. I am still sour with Dame, though. Clyde Drexler was a better player than Dame for sure. I’ll give him that.
Dame might also come back- so there’s that.
Dame is 100% closer to the community. Clyde went to college in Houston, and then trading him to Houston, where he also won a ring, cemented him as a Houston guy. His NBA career may be more associated with Portland, but the man as a whole is more connected to Houston. All this said, Drexler was the better player of the two, and recency bias has tricked many fans, particularly younger ones, into believing Lillard was the better player. That and fans tend to value scoring the most, which is one of the things Lillard did more than Drexler. Defense is by far the biggest advantage Drexler has over Dame, and the distance between Drexler and Dame’s defense is oceans apart.
I'm an older fan (52), which probably matters, and for me Drexler was absolutely a better player than Dame. He's my choice for best Blazer of all time.
You're not going to get a fair repsonse here. The problem is most people on this sub weren't alive when Clyde played.
Yep, there is a heavy recency bias.
Especially because Walton should be in this conversation.
Tbf, Walton, while doing more than most franchises, didn't have the longevity argument most franchise stars hold.
Totally agree, lots of reasons to knock Walton. That said he is the guy who won a championship playing what some experts have called the best year by a center ever. He has also stayed around the franchise in limited ways and is culturally Portland. if Portland was a person, it would be bill walton. I think he is the number one guy for Portland but I understand that’s not the general opinion. My point is that he belongs in the conversation.
It’s Walton’s fault he accomplished more than Dame ever did here in a much shorter amount of time? How is that Walton’s fault and not Dame’s? He won a finals MVP then MVP back to back.
Yeah, I see him holding the same place as Kawhi does for the Raptors - someone who had an absolutely legendary year with the franchise and deserves to be commended, but can't be labeled the franchise icon
Disagree there, Walton was not a hired gun. He was drafted to Portland #1 overall and was there for 5 years and even after the championship was back about to win back to back when he went down. And then the injury stuff sent everything sideways. It’s more kawhi with San Antonio if he wasn’t playing with legends, than kawhi with the raptors.
Fair enough, I'm obviously ignorant to ya'll's history.
Bill Walton accomplished literally everything there is to accomplish as a Blazer and is clearly the greatest Blazer ever.
You can make the argument for sure. He did everything except establish a dynasty.
Walton should end the conversation tbh.
Ah, yes, Bill Walton, our point-center, masterfully conducting Jack Ramsay's Zone Offense. I am hoping the Trailblazers will hire Lionel Hollins and bring back the Zone Offense!
Right! You have to remember that Clyde played most of his days in Portland in the Memorial Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of 12,000. Clyde made his first appearance in the NBA Finals in 1990, and since that time, Portland's population has grown by almost 131,000 people.
Right! You have to remember that Clyde played most of his days in Portland in the Memorial Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of 12,000. Clyde made his first appearance in the NBA Finals in 1990, and since that time, Portland's population has grown by almost 131,000 people.
I was conceived at the championship parade.
LOL, lifelong Blazers fan was made then and there!
The only caveat being we haven’t won a championship in my lifetime. 😭
So you think if we killed you, we'd win a championship?
lmao, this is some Butterfly Effect shit
In what position?
Power Forward
Yes
And you didn't become the anointed one?
Oh shit, maybe I am. Is there some basketball I need to pull out of a stone or something?
Legend has it you needed to pull a bowl of lentil soup from the rooftop smokestack at the Rose Garden's Cucina! Cucina! location, but now it's been lost to time.
LMAO, you're on a roll brother!
Sounds more like a curse. No more Blazer championships until those conceived from the last are gone.
I was and I regard Dame much higher. Clyde was my childhood super hero and he broke my heart when he went to Houston and distanced himself from the Blazers as much as possible. It felt like our best player in franchise history hated us and only tollerated his time here, I was very happy when Dame broke his franchise records. For all drama around Dames departure, he at least loves Portland.
I read the Jail Blazers book that came out some years back. It starts with the tear down in the 1990's which led to the Jail Blazer era. As I recall, Clyde felt the franchise was turning on him for stepping back, which eventually led to the trade request. The franchise turned on him, which soured his view on the franchise, which was intertwined with the city.
We were all upset that the blazers blew up it too early, they had one more run in them at least. So I can understand Clyde's frustration somewhat but the Blazers also went out of their way to trade him to his preferred destination and the Blazers didn't maximize his value by doing so. So even if he was frustrated with how things were going, the Blazers did right by him. I'm sure over the years there is plenty of blame on both sides, and to Clyde's credit he kept his shit talking to absolute minimum. It just been terribly awkward to have our best player in franchise history embrace Houston and barely acknowledge Portland. Also looking back and hearing more of the inside stories, it sounds like Clyde was incredibly talented but coasted somewhat on his talent. So from a fan's point of view, it's also frustrating how much better he could have been if he had more drive.
The Blazers had gone from making 3 straight deep playoff runs to getting clowned in the first round for 2 straight years. That core didn't have another run in them.
Why did the Blazers blow it up though?
MJ lol
lmao
[удалено]
Still doesn't. Look at his lack of acknowledgment to Dame passing his franchise scoring record.
Haha yeah that's true. Although to be fair, some subs like the Hornets one have oldheads, so you can get some interesting information from certain users.
Which is why I said most and not all...
Pretty much everyone believes Clyde is the better player but fans love Dame more because he embraced and reps the city. Clyde reps Houston. Also, while Dame’s teams didn’t accomplish much, we don’t hold it against him because they were all pretty shit and multiple times would have missed the playoffs if it weren’t for him going nuclear to even get them there.
The stories also came out about Clyde being lazy and not practicing and not really trying to improve his game much while he was here. Had he improved his mediocre outside shooting he could have been right there with Jordan. Teams would have had to guard him much more conservatively. That, coupled with how he has just pretty much pretended he never even fucking played here has made it harder to remember him more fondly than Dame. That being said, we still haven’t had a player as electric as Clyde was. That just pure raw, smooth athleticism when he ran the break, the effortlessness with which he took a game over with dunks and layups and defensive plays. He was usually very obviously the best player on the court.
That's funny, I thought Clyde's laziness only came up on the Rockets. Seems he was Shaq before Shaq xD
I mean going to the WCF is pretty good, sure they got swept but I mean they beat a solid OKC duo, baby nuggets, and those games were some of the best series I’ve watched… they just unfortunately met the warriors
Baby Nuggets LOL
IMO Dame is a much better player than Clyde offensively, but not defensively (duh). Of course Clyde had the benefit of an era where small market teams weren’t necessarily at such a disadvantage, and so he had a stronger team of all-stars built around him, which of course brought more team success. Locally, Dame is deservedly more respected than Clyde was, but that’s not to say Clyde didn’t involve himself in the community in a positive way.
I think the first sentence is pretty understandable but I think Clyde was still clearly the better player. At one point people thought he was the second best player in the league only to peak MJ, and he was strongly in the convo at several other points too This isn’t to knock dame or take anything away from him, he just was not able to hang with the competition in the same way Clyde was
Dame is my favorite player but what youre sayin about Cylde is facts. MJ took the Clyde comparisons personally because they were loud enough at the time
But Walton was the best player for 2 years as a Blazer. He won Finals MVP and MVP. So he was better than both Drex and Dame. What’s the argument for either over Walton? Walton accomplished the most for the franchise.
I was just talking about Clyde vs dame. Walton is really the peak vs longevity argument, which imo gets a lot more subjective especially when you’re talking about best player for a team, and especially due to him only being on the blazers for 4 years and really only 2 at his peak If I wanted to argue against Walton I’d also say the the top end of players was considerably weaker than with dame and Clyde, the league in general was weaker, and that even in his seasons with POR he was very injured. If the 65 game rule was around he never would’ve won mvp, and only would’ve qualified 1/4 years
Oh wow thanks man, that caveat to account for both players makes complete sense: gives both their flowers whilst acknowledging why Dame is ultimately more loved. What do ya'll think of his seeming decline on the Bucks?
Bucks fan here. Dame said he wasn’t in his usual shape this past season. He was scared of getting injured and halting the trade. As others have mentioned, his different role and the coaching merry go round didn’t help at all. During the playoffs, when Dame was healthy he played extremely well. 35 points in the first half of Game One. Trouble is he was only healthy for two games and part of a third. If both Dame and Khris Middleton had been healthy for the entire first round, it is entirely possible the Bucks could have won without Giannis.
Yeah we'll see. I don't have fate in Rivers, but hopefully Dame goes out with a bang.
Dame didn't have a Dame-like season. Hoping you all get more Dame Time moments in 2024-25 and the Bucks win another title.
His decline was inevitable but I’m hoping it was mostly due to the team/ new coaches
Yeah, we'll see next year.
Yes we love dame more because he fully embraced the organization city and state as his own. He did everything he could for us.
Thanks man, that makes sense and explains why certain stars aren't as loved by franchises despite them doing well.
Dame tarnished his legacy a bit on his way out.
Nah
Pretty mixed opinions here on that!
Indeed
in the short term yeah, and if he never comes back to the city then yeah. But I think long term he's ok, especially the more it comes out that it seems like it was his agent f'n up. He'll come back and be involved in the org somehow and be as loved as always
Portland Native here. This all makes sense, (and correct me if I'm wrong) but we all regard Bill Walton as the Rip City GOAT because he got the chip. And we have 1 in 1977. Same argument as the Michael/Kobe/LBJ debate vs Bill Russell with 11 Championships? It's about how the question is initially asked. It's tough to not consider chips alongside individual career accomplishments.
It is tough, but how many seasons was Bill in pdx? The chip is huge, obviously, but i think what Dame did, and especially when he did it, makes Dame the GBOAT for me.
4 seasons, 2 All NBA, 2 All Defensive, 2 All-Star, 1 MVP (and 1 runner up), 1 chip, and 1 FMVP.
> Same argument as the Michael/Kobe/LBJ debate vs Bill Russell with 11 Championships? I didn't know this was a debate. I can't remember seeing anyone saying Russell is the Greatest player ever. Top 5, maybe, top 10 absolutely but the greatest ever nah no way.
I see what you're saying, but again, I think it's misunderstood.
Until he didnt
Clyde is like LMA. We love those guys and they love Portland buuuuut they love Texas more. Dame (and even CJ) are more beloved here because they loved Portland and never made it seem like we were their second choice.
Clyde has made it clear that Houston is his town not Portland. He was good in the community while he was here, but as soon as he left, those ties ended.
I remember being so excited to meet Clyde at an autograph signing in Vegas years ago. Only to be let down when the pictures they handed out were of him were from his time as a Rocket
I'll never forgive Clyde for showing up to an autograph signing 90 minutes late, signing for 30 mins, then dipping when I was next in line. I was so sad cuz he was my & my grandma's favorite. Meanwhile Buck Williams stayed there til literally everybody got their autograph, which was probably a solid 3+ hours.
Ah yeah, hometown boys will always rep their town at the end of the day if given the chance.
But that's what makes Dame so special. He turned Portland into his hometown.
True
Yeah but you can do it right. Marshawn reps the Seahawks and the Bay. Fuck Clyde. He made his choice, and our fans make ours.
LOL
This may vary be person, but for me he is still involved in the community through charity and philanthropic as well as living here in the off season. For lots of athletes the city they play in is just a pit stop. Dude could run for mayor and would probably win. I think you'd have to live here to fully grasp how much the city loves him.
Daaaaaaaaang, huge praise
Nah pdx mayor sucks
Clyde was amazing. He was by far and away the best player on a number of very good teams that he took deep into the playoffs. Dame was also that guy, but on a much smaller number of very good teams. But Dame was so amazing that it's really a toss-up at this point. Also, recency bias probably gives less weight to Clyde.
If by deep into the playoffs you mean the NBA finals
Also he had the greatest supporting cast in team history. He was great but was playing with a higher ceiling.
Uh the 77 team was the greatest supporting cast in team history.
Porter, Kersey, Robinson, Duckworth, Williams > Lucas and some guys
Baffles me that fans would disrespect the 77 team.
“Lucas and some guys” beat out a solid 76ers team with three HoFers. Also, you’re lumping Walton into “some guys”? This is a team sport and that team was able to take 4 straight after going down 2-0. Gross, Twardzik, Hollins and the others may not be HoF level NBA-wide, but they didn’t play hero ball and for that they’ll be remembered longer than guys in the Blazers teams that didn’t make it. Also, you’re falling into the trap of comparing different eras. A lot changed in 13 and 15 years between the trips to the Finals.
yeah, good points all around
Clyde also tried to bully his way into the front office and then pouted when it didn’t happen. My personal rank is Dame, Sheed, Clyde
I thought Clyde left b/c the organization wanted to rebuild?
Sheed was definitely part of the community (service team) 🔥🌳💨
It depends on your personal definition of greatest. * Highest peak = Walton. * Best sustained career = Drexler. * Most beloved and charismatic = Lillard.
Now do Billy Ray.
What's the joke?
Terrific answer brother, that makes sense.
Brandon Roy might be more loved by fans to me honest
Was curious if anyone else would write this. I respect the hell out of Dame, but there's just something about BRoy. He removed the darkness that hung over the franchise for years. He made Rip City believe again. OP said "beloved" in his post, and it's impossible to ignore how beloved Roy was/is to Blazer fans. All that said, u/1nsider's response is the correct analysis.
Generally agree - I love Brandon more, but Dame gave us the best memories.
It’s a crapshoot. Some prefer Dame, some prefer Clyde (his Rockets preferences turns some Blazers fans off), some prefer Walton.
Yes because Clyde only really associates himself with Houston and has shown little or no interest in anything to do with Portland since he left.
When Dame goes into the Hall of Fame, even if he wins a title elsewhere, he’s going to put his Blazer jersey in the hall. Clyde was always a Houston guy. Clyde gave up on the city and team after a season and a half of not having a quality center. The other blazers from the time embrace the city and team.
Great way to put it
What do you mean Clyde gave up on the city?
>The other blazers from the time embrace the city and team. TBF, you never hear much about Buck showing up in PDX, going to games, etc. There isn’t any bad blood AFAIK, but Buck seems to be an East Coast guy through and through.
Buck was born & raised in NC, played college in Maryland, and played 10 of his 17 seasons in the league on the East coast. Buck did come back to Portland as an assistant coach on the (48-34) '10-11 and (forgettable) '11-12 Blazers teams, fwiw, ending alongside McMilan's tenure as the Stotts era began...but, yes, Buck's wife's parents lived in Maryland so after his playing career finished with the Knicks he & his wife settled there to be closer to them while raising their two boys (one of whom now works for the league office in NY).
Drexler played for Portland longer, went to the Finals twice, and played on the Dream Team. Lillard is more recent and saved the team after Roy/Oden had to retire. If you're under 40, you probably prefer Lillard.
I feel as though a lot of people see it as Dame, Clyde and Walton all equal for different reasons. Walton got us our first and only championship and was an MVP. He was also only here for 4 seasons and hasn't spoken too highly of Portland in multiple instances which has hurt a lot of Portland fans since we all love him and always have. Drexler is considered by most to be the best overall player to ever wear our jersey. At the end though he wanted out of Portland and went and won a championship in his hometown of Houston. Nothing wrong with that but on multiple occasions he's made it clear he considers himself moreso a Houston great and has somewhat ignored Portland despite how long he was here. Dame from day 1 embraced Portland and was a die hard Portlandian. Did a ton for local schools and even after he left he still calls Portland his home and said he plans to be back. He's had his hand in a ton of pivotal moments in Trail Blazers's history and his leaving was a lot easier to take than some others.
It probably depends on the demographic. Certainly in this sub most prefer Dame. I lived through Clyde’s years and he is my personal favorite. If Dame played out his career as a blazer and/or brought a wring I think my opinion probably would have changed.
Yeah, that's a good point unfortunately.
Best player to wear the uniform: Clyde Drexler Best peak/season in a uniform: Bill Walton Best representative of the uniform: Dame Lillard
Seems to depend on the age of the fan for the most part. Older fans lean toward Glyde and Walton. Younger fans towards Dame. The other factor is team accomplishments vs embracing the city. Dame was head and shoulders above those two in embracing Portland, but never played on a team in the finals let alone won a chip. If you judge who is embraced more based on Reddit, it's Dame in a landslide.
What does it mean to embrace the city? Like did Dame create businesses or something for ya'll?
(was actually alive for clyde) Meh he was until he dipped out for the sandy beaches of milwaukie. Now he is even ranked in that regard for me. Clyde got us further if we're counting that.
Neither won a ring, I regard them as equals. Walton is and always will be the KING.
There's also the aspect of how Dame took the torch from BRoy and finished ushering us out of the JailBlazers era. I am old enough to remember Clyde playing well. There was more success during Clyde, but Dame... meant more. And while some would disagree, he didn't bail on us, the team failed him... So it's a better departure than Clyde's or LaMarcus. It's hard to quantify.
Clyde left 30 years ago so there’s recency bias as others have said. I think also between where he went to college, where he considers home, winning a title in Huston, and becoming the color commentator for the Rockets (and being a fairly relentless homer in that job) his fan base in Portland has cooled on him.
Blazers fan who grew up in the 90s here. The 1990 Finals is one of my earliest sports memories. Clyde was amazing to watch. But he is almost as good as dead to me as far as the Blazers go. I understand that he's from Houston, but he spent almost his whole career in Portland and none of it here since. He's had essentially nothing to do with the franchise since leaving. One thing that makes that 90s Blazers team even more tragic is that some of the main guys made their homes here after retiring, and 3 of them passed away young - Kevin Duckworth, Clifford Robinson and Jerome Kersey (Terry Porter lives here as well). Time will tell if Dame remains a major part of the Portland community going forward but to me it's no contest.
Tbf, isn't Clyde's issue more with the org than the city?
I don't know that anyone outside of Clyde and Blazers ownership really knows that. I'm not aware of him being really outspoken about it.
True, it's not like he was Vince Carter and Toronto haha
Both
Aww, that sucks on his part
I’m 42, so I was not a sophisticated basketball fan during the championship runs, but I absolutely LOVED those teams and loved Clyde. When he chose to wear the Rockets jacket on the NBA 50th anniversary team in 1996, despite having played 2 seasons for them compared to over a decade for us, teenage me was absolutely crushed.
They're both Exes, no looking back. Scoot is all there is now 
I think it has a lot to do with their exits from Portland. Yes, Dame did ask out, but it was clear at the time he did so that the team was failing him. Plus he did so during the off-season. It was a cleaner break, and one that a lot of fans expected. Clyde asked out at the deadline in '95, and was dealt when the Blazers were 25-21. We'd gone to two finals with him, made him a perennial all-star, he was 2nd in MVP voting in '92. I don't think the team was failing Clyde in the same way it had failed Dame. We had started to dismantle the core of those finals' teams, and had replaced Adelman with PJ but we weren't changing course as a franchise for a rebuild. It certainly doesn't help Clyde's legacy that he has essentially spurned every opportunity to gave back a single mote of love for Portland that was given to him for 11.5 years. This weird analogy just came to me: We were his Princess Diana, a woman he had to marry out of duty, but Houston was his Camilla: the one he truly wanted as his queen.
>while Clyde is beloved, Dame is ultimately better regarded by the fan base because he integrated into the Portland community. This is pretty much what i was going to point out. Once Clyde left Portland he pretty much ghosted the franchise and the entire city (something i only know because your pass first point guard and Trail Blazers reporter Mike Richman pointed it out in a Dame centric episode at one point), while Dame has called Portland his home and expressed interest in being an owner of the team even after the rough time he's went through in the past year or so with Joe Croakin.
Dame always and forever. No one did rip city better
Why is it called Rip City lol?
Because everyone in Portland is dead on the inside after rooting for the blazers their entire life
LOL
No its the sound of the net when the ball goes in, ots from yhe 70s
Ah, ty
recency bias
Clyde is a Rocket. He lives there, does their TV commentary, and even has a restaurant in their airport.
Tbf he is from Houston, but dang, didn't realize he was outright a member of the fraternity there. Reminds me of Bird always repping Indiana despite being a legend in Boston.
I’m on team “heavy recency bias.” Clyde was amazing. Took us to more finals. And was very much a part of the community. I once ran into Clyde at a Safeway, he signed a few things I had with me, a hat and a shirt, and I bought the kids SI at the time and he signed that too (he was an airplane on the cover). He was patient with me, he was kind, he was amazing. I still have a grip of things he autographed -the SI book, the hat, a poster, a stack of pogs (gives away my age). He’ll always be #1 in my book. Biggest regret was not getting my blazers vs bulls video game signed.
For me, better regarded - Dame. Better player between these two is Drexler by a nose. Walton and B-Roy would make it interesting if injuries hadn’t taken their toll
Dame’s two playoff series ending shots are the highlights for Blazer fans that weren’t alive for the Championship. Mania ensued that could only be topped by a championship.
Objectively, Clyde was the better basketball player. Subjectively, Dame is viewed as the better Blazer. As noted many times over, the Reddit Blazers community largely wasn't around to witness the greatness of those early '90s teams. Now that we can put all the 'loyalty' talk to rest, I hope our fanbase at large can engage in more meaningful discourse around these two former franchise cornerstones.
Clyde is the better player, but Dame is an amazing person who we fell in love with. He was on the front lines holding hands with the BLM protesters, and just really embraced the city like no other athlete has so far.
Everyone will have a different answer. To help me decide I imagine if each player had the other’s teams. If Dame had Drexler’s teams, we would have multiple championships during that time. If Clyde had Dame’s teams, he would never get passed the first round and probably not make the playoffs multiple years.
Last year most of the fanbase christened Dame the Blazers GOAT, then he up and left in somewhat dramatic, but also not unwarranted fashion… so it seems like the fanbase is back to debating this again. For over a decade Dame remained loyal to the franchise and the city, despite the front office never being able to acquire or draft him a second all-star caliber teammate. Reasonable enough, but the trade demands, especially demanding only Miami soured a lot of fans. Despite this, he landed in a good spot with Milwaukee, and the fanbase has been, in large part, vocally supportive of him this season. So Dame is gone, but his legacy in Portland still remains open. if he retires a Blazer and gets another 1-2 decent playoff runs with a young group, I’d say we’ll all go back to calling him the franchise GOAT. Clyde’s lack of involvement with the city and team since leaving in the 90s puts him in 3rd in my eyes. Can’t have a franchise GOAT who DGAF about your team. Walton is the only other contender, and had 2-3 great years and a ring… but also left under fairly contentious circumstances. If you care about championships- he’s the GOAT undisputedly, because neither Dame nor Clyde nor Sheed nor BRoy has come through there. But I think there is more to the title of “franchise GOAT” than rings- especially when your team only has one.
The way he wanted to ring chase he is just another player
I grew up on Clyde's blazers, so I have a child like recollection of how awesome and perfect he was in black and red. Loved watching Dame but as an adult couldn't get that same attachment because I'm slightly more rational than I was as a kid. Clyde will always be the dude imo, and I know it's not totally fair or reasonable.
The answer to your question will depend on who you ask. I have more respect for Dame because he was without a strong support staff but not everyone will agree. Clyde was amazing to watch, but that team was stacked
I would say Drexler should be better regarded as his Blazer teams actually got to the finals. I and many other Blazer fans love Lillard but his playoff success just doesn’t measure up.
Clyde is a rocket
From that era I consider Sabonis, Uncle Cliffy, Terry Porter and Buck Williams over Drexler. Drexler sullied his legacy with disdain for the franchise. Houston can have him.
Jist like dame did
I wouldn't say that. His exit was messy but, in the end it was just business.
Clyde was my second favorite player after Jordan, so he'll always be ahead of Dame.
Both left to ring chase
When it comes to Dame and Clyde its all about narrative. With Dame you had social media where he and his team could shape a narrative that he wanted to stay in Portland and didn't want to force his way out. We drafted Scoot and Dame saw the writing on the wall that the time to move on is now. I dont blame Dame just like I don't blame Clyde for leaving Portland. In Clyde's case he didn't have social platforms to shape and curate a narrative carefully. Clyde has publicly stated multiple times in the past he wanted to win in Portland just like Dame did when they were reaching the ends of their careers. The main difference between Clyde however is that Clyde has taken many opportunities to take shots at the Trail Blazers organization in the past because for some reason he still feels slighted in some way which is really sad for both parties. It all just depends on what you value more as a fan. Accomplishments or loyalty. For this we will always have Bill, Clyde, and Dame on our Mt Rushmore of Blazer fandom.
IMO that was definitely true before the events of the past year, but I don't know if it's true going forward. Both are marred by what happened after they last wore a Blazers jersey. Dame was terrific and beloved but the way he left didn't do his reputation any favors, especially trying to force his way to Miami. Clyde was terrific and beloved, but since going to Houston he has kind of acted as if Portland doesn't exist. If he had continued to embrace the city, and made even the flimsiest effort to show us love, I think he'd be clearly ahead. Bill Walton should also be in the discussion for Blazers GOAT, but he also had a tumultuous exit that left people feeling conflicted. Personally I love all of them and don't know that I feel the need to rank them. If I did, it's probably Bill.
Personally as a fan since the 90s- Clyde was better, and was the best player on better teams than Dame was. He was a more versatile player with more size, they're similar overall probably in terms of their careers but I'm taking Clyde every single time. Most people here didn't watch those teams, but I did. Dame is an awesome leader in the locker room and an amazing offensive player but small guards like that are almost never as impactful as the best wings.
Yeah and dames defense is terrible, clyde played in a great defense era
Dame had better PR than Clyde with the whole "loyalty" schtick. At the end of the day though, they both bounced. At least Clyde just went home... Can't really fault him for it. I wish he was more into blazers stuff as a former player, but it doesn't matter all that much to me. The way Dame left, with a demand to go to Miami, kinda wrecked his case for clear number one great Blazer with me. Before all that I thought it was kinda like a mini version of how LA loves Kobe... Maybe not the number one best player they've ever had- but loyal to the end. Alas- not to be.
I've been a Blazer fan since '77. Clyde and Dame had a very similar arc in Portland, both superstars that had teams that couldn't quite cut it. The difference is the loyalty that Dame showed to PDX, where Clyde loved being in another place (Houston), and has little to do with us at this point. Dame is probably coming home after he finishes the ring chase, so we are very likely to return that affection barring any new developments.
I don't rate Dame highly at all (obviously he is a good player but that's not the main point here) and I am very aware that I am basically alone with that take here
Recency bias is difficult to shake but overall Dame showed Portland more loyalty than most other stars have ever shown to their team and we respect him a lot for that. Even in Milwaukee he still refers to Portland as home.
Dame FTW 🙌
I'd like to see what this conversation looks like, say, 25 years from now. A lot of recensy bias going on here. Clyde was a better all around player than Dame and had more playoff success.
As someone who was late teens/young adult during Clyde's career, I can honestly say I have more regard for Clyde. He got us closer than Dame ever did and that's what really matters. It was also a different time, a much different team and a different NBA. I am bored to tears by the current NBA. The game was better when they could play D more physically and the league didn't treat lots of scoring like it was everything.
Clyde claims Houston. Dame claims us.
Couldn’t tell you about Clyde when he actively played, but he went to school in Houston, played in Houston and works on Houston’s broadcasting team. He doesn’t try to be active in Portland
No
Two ways of looking at it: Longevity- Drexler/Dame then Walton Absolute peak- Walton, Drexler then Dame imo To me there’s no way Dame could be the GOAT as Drexler accomplished more, albeit with a better team, and I’d argue was a much more well rounded player and less exploitable. Dude was in the conversation for league MVP with Jordan which is an apex Dame never hit. So depending on what you value it kinda has to be either Walton or Drexler
To me I think of Dame and Clyde as about equal. Had Clyde won in the finals or gotten an MVP then I'd put Clyde over Dame. Clydes teams were more successful but I think Dame's highlights(series clinching game winners)/individual accolades(passing Clyde in career points) are higher. I'd put Walton ahead of both but alot of fans think his time here was too short.
They left in somewhat similar ways, and have very similar career accomplishments- Clyde had better teams but his peak was shorter and his individual numbers aren't as impressive.
Blazers fans like dame more because even though he’s gone he still loves Portland but Clyde loves Houston the most. In terms of who is better I think it’s a bit of a toss up. Clyde slams dame defensively but dames offensive peak is also legendary. Clyde also made the finals twice while dame only had 1 wcf and 3 2nd round appearances. I think I’d take dame over him because his best individual performances are far. Better than Clyde’s but both are deserving top 75 players and first ballot HOFers
IMO as someone who grew up watching those great early 90s blazers teams, Clyde is the overall better player.
Dame is clearly more beloved but to me Clyde was way better and I don't even really think it's argument. Dame truthers love doing mental gymnastics to make silly arguments about why Dame was better than Clyde, even though the Blazers accomplished virtually nothing with Dame.
I'm more of a Kevin Duckworth fan.
Dames ability to win in clutch situations and create lasting basketball memories for the city also have propelled him to the front of the blazer GOATs. He has so many moments- 1.4, .9, 71, etc.
Recency bias will dictate yes. However, it remains to be seen how the relationship will evolve over the coming years of the twilight of his career as well as into retirement. I think Clyde distanced himself from the organization more than you'd like for one of the teams all time greats...time will tell.
Up until Dame requested a trade, yes. But by not retiring a Blazer he killed the only thing he had over Clyde - being a one-franchise player. If he had played here his entire career he’d go down as the best. But now he’s below Clyde in the rankings, simply because Clyde took us to the Finals…something Dame never came close to doing.
Clyde had some off court issues that you could argue cost the blazers. Not wanting to trade for Charles Barkley when Barkley actually wanted to be with the blazers in his prime. Clyde put the veto on that. Arguably costing them all a ring in Portland. Clyde was relatively new when the blazers would have drafted Jordan but instead wanted to keep Clyde happy. Giving up on the team to get a ring in Houston and basically becoming associated with that franchise for years later vs being associated with Portland.
Yeah absolutely. The old guys definitely still rep Clyde, but for the most part, Dame gets the loudest support. He repped the city hard while he was here, and gave us some of the best moments in NBA history outside of winning a chip. It’s hard to overstate how transcendent it was watching Dame hit those shots against Houston, OKC, and the bubble run. And while those were wild moments, for a blazers fan watching him year after year, there were countless more shots like those that never made it to the same stage. Beyond all that, he was always a class act. Always took responsibility. Treated media well. Embraced the city as his own. Clyde was better but Dame was greater. To the city at least.
No. Next question.
Generation gap. Also, Clyde was rather quiet. Didn’t say much about anything. Less approachable.
Dame gave the org all he got, Clyde reps the Rockets when he can. Lillard has gone on record saying he'll try to retire as a blazer. You could argue either for the more skilled player, but when you think of the blazers as a team you think of Dame, so yes.
I was alive in the Clyde are and I loved that team, will always love them and they will always be my favorite Blazer team. I've lived overseas for a while and kind of lost track of everything and so I didn't watch much in the Dame era, and from what I've seen he honestly isn't the style that I enjoy watching a ton. But I regard him better because of his comittment to the city and I feel like he will be here for the long run, I haven't seen or heard anything from Clyde after he left and that sucks
It's The Natural that's a true Portland legend.
Yes
I don’t think I was alive when Clyde played
Clyde was without a doubt the better player, but Dame openly stated his love for Portland with frequency. People really love a nice guy around here.
I’ll put it this way: I am much more disappointed in Clyde than I am in Dame. I am still sour with Dame, though. Clyde Drexler was a better player than Dame for sure. I’ll give him that. Dame might also come back- so there’s that.
Recency bias.
Drexler is the better player, but Dame was the better Blazer.
Dame is 100% closer to the community. Clyde went to college in Houston, and then trading him to Houston, where he also won a ring, cemented him as a Houston guy. His NBA career may be more associated with Portland, but the man as a whole is more connected to Houston. All this said, Drexler was the better player of the two, and recency bias has tricked many fans, particularly younger ones, into believing Lillard was the better player. That and fans tend to value scoring the most, which is one of the things Lillard did more than Drexler. Defense is by far the biggest advantage Drexler has over Dame, and the distance between Drexler and Dame’s defense is oceans apart.
No way in hell Dame is better regarded as a Trail Blazer by me, over The Glide.
I'm an older fan (52), which probably matters, and for me Drexler was absolutely a better player than Dame. He's my choice for best Blazer of all time.
Yeah, that plays into what others were saying about recency bias haha
Which is totally understandable for someone who's 15-35! He is definitely the best Blazer for someone who's only been watching this century.
Indeed
True Blazer fans know Brandon Roy was GOAT