Clyde Drexler is etched into Portland Trail Blazers history. For more than a decade, he became its defining star and, in the early 2000s, saw his jersey lifted to the rafters.
While that means that Drexler received the ultimate honor for everything he gave the organization, it doesn’t mean he is satisfied with the Blazers’ treatment of their former players. The Hall of Famer made that clear when speaking to veteran sportswriter Kerry Eggers in March 2025.
Blazers’ reunion mishandling
What is a franchise without the sweat, heart and sacrifice its players have poured onto the court? It’s a question that underscores why players — especially those who spent years with an organization — deserve respect and admiration, the very traits Drexler says the Blazers‘ leadership has long failed to show.
Several examples illustrate his point, beginning with a personal note about Portland’s recent celebration of their 1990 and 1992 teams.
Drexler said that months prior to that event, Terry Porter, his former backcourt partner, had reached out to inform him that the organization was considering the reunion. Drexler reflected that his response showed an uncertainty about attending, citing family health reasons, but emphasized a willingness to wait and see how things progressed and a desire to be informed of the official date once it was set.
Drexler said that after that phone call, there was no follow-up — he never received official notice from Portland’s management and only learned the date when a reporter reached out.
The fact that the poster boy and best player on that past team wasn’t properly informed was problematic, to say the least. While Drexler found it frustrating, it also didn’t surprise him. After all, he described it as just one of the many balls the Blazers have dropped over the years.
Drexler’s criticism of Blazers management
Beyond the reunion mishap, Drexler’s frustrations with the Blazers run much deeper. While his number 22 jersey hangs in the rafters at Moda Center, many former teammates who arguably deserve similar honors have been overlooked. Drexler specifically mentioned Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams and Kevin Duckworth, offering sharp criticism for their perceived snub.
“They (the Blazers management) don’t foster any kind of relationship with ex-players,” the 10-time All-Star bluntly said.
If ever asked to grade the organization in that sense, Drexler said he would give them an F, showing just how frustrated he is with the neglect of those who helped build the championship-winning franchise from Oregon, founded in 1970.
Looking at the bigger picture, it’s easy to see why Drexler feels so strongly about this. While he remains clearly connected to the franchise and its fans — always using “we” when talking about the Blazers — he is openly critical of how the team is run, much of that directed at current Vice Chair Bert Kolde.
Drexler said Kolde has had carte blanche to run the franchise from behind the scenes, accomplishing very little and contributing to the team’s ongoing struggles to stay competitive year after year.
Ultimately, Drexler believes none of the issues will change until new management arrives and he said he looks forward to the day Kolde is gone, making way for fresh personnel who can honor the past while merging it with the present, which the legendary guard insists should be the defining aspect of the organization going forward.