No. 3: Clyde Drexler
Date: November 1st, 1991 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Statistics: 31 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists | 14-of-20 FG, 2-of-2 FT
We didn’t know it at the time, but the NBA scheduling granted fans with a gem of an Opening Night game, pitting two of the Association’s four best teams head-to-head to open the year.
By season’s end, both of these teams were 57-win powerhouses that would have been remembered more positively, if not for the existence of Michael Jordan.
For that reason, what Clyde Drexler did within this degree of difficulty deserves some credit. There isn’t film on the game, but newspapers at the time — The World Newspaper in Coos Bay, Oregon and the Statesman’s Journal — told two central stories: Drexler’s dominance despite dealing with foul trouble, and the Blazers’ defensive aggression as a whole.
He was crucial to an 8-0 run that gave Portland cushion to pull out a win against Larry Nance and Brad Daugherty’s Cavaliers, and for that, he certainly earned a spot on this list’s top three. This season, likely the most fulfilling of his career, saw Drexler average 25.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists on 47.0 percent shooting, finishing No. 2 in the MVP race.
As shown, he wasted little time generating momentum.
Drexler made it a habit of being an excellent Opening Day performer, often in front of the Oregon crowd. And this was arguably his best.