Lillard is Blazers’ biggest scorer — Who is the G.O.A.T player for the Trail Blazers?

Damian Lillard is the people’s choice today as the greatest of all time in Trail Blazer history. Those who watched Clyde Drexler grace the courts in the 1980s and ‘90s might disagree

I check in with an all-star panel, including former players, coaches and pundits, and weigh in myself

Updated 12/28/2022 10:37 PM, 12/29/2022 5:11 PM, 1/11/2023 5:00 AM

The wait is over. In his 11th NBA season, Damian Lillard is the Trail Blazers’ career scoring leader, having passed Clyde “The Glide” Drexler last week at Oklahoma City. Three games later, following Monday’s 124-113 victory over Charlotte at Moda Center, Portland’s current franchise player is at 18,098 points, leaving Drexler behind at 18,040 over his 11 1/2 seasons with the team.

What is still open for debate is this: Who is the greatest player in Blazer history?

Bill Walton is a name posed by some. And indeed, through a season and 60 games, the Big Redhead reached the greatest heights. He led Portland to the 1976-77 NBA championship, then earned Most Valuable Player honors in 1977-78 before injuries ended the Blazers’ title run that season. Walton played only 209 regular-season and 21 playoff games across four seasons as a Blazer, not enough for consideration for the greatest ever.

It boils down to a two-man duel between Lillard, a 6-2, 200-pound point guard, and Drexler, a 6-7, 220-pound shooting guard, a worthy battle between Goliaths of different eras. Drexler was an eight-time All-Star with Portland from 1984-95; Lillard has been named six times in a career that began in 2012 and is in its 11th campaign. Clyde twice led the Blazers to the NBA Finals; Dame keyed the Blazers’ run to the Western Conference finals in 2019.

Both players have a laundry list of accolades and achievements; we’ll delve into that later. For now, some important input and opinion from an array of gentlemen worthy of an audience on the subject.

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Clyde Drexler was the catalyst of the Blazers’ NBA Finals teams of 1990 and ’92 and was a member of the original “Dream Team” that won gold at Barcelona in 1992

Clyde “The Glide” Drexler

Let’s start with Drexler himself, now 60 years old and entrenched in retirement in his hometown of Houston. Clyde left Portland during turbulent times, shortly after Paul Allen fired Rick Adelman as coach and general manager Geoff Petrie resigned as a result. Center Kevin Duckworth was traded, point guard Terry Porter and small forward Jerome Kersey were benched, and Drexler questioned how much new GM Bob Whitsitt wanted to win. Not wanting to be part of a rebuilding project, Clyde pushed Whitsitt to trade him, and the GM did him a favor, sending him at the trade deadline to Houston, where he teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon to win a championship.

Drexler’s scoring total with the Blazers stood for 27 years until Lillard passed him by in Oklahoma City on Dec. 19. Clyde has expressed a fondness for Lillard for years. Last week, Lillard told Casey Holdahl, beat reporter for the Blazers’ website, that he and Drexler “have a pretty solid relationship. I’d say every couple of months we get on the phone and talk.”

Clyde says he didn’t call Lillard with congratulations after the OKC game. In his mind, he had already taken care of that.

“I called him and left a message to congratulate Damian before he did it,” Drexler says. “I also called (coach) Chauncey Billups to congratulate him and wish him well for the rest of the season.

“You’re not going to hold a record forever. I knew Damian would get it some day. I am happy for him. We have talked quite a bit over the years. We have had a good relationship since his rookie year. I have always been a fan. He is a great young man and truly a great player. He plays hard. He has a lot of talent. He can really shoot it. It’s amazing to see the 3-point range players like Steph (Curry) and Dame have today.

“Damian has continued to get better and better even as he enter the latter stage of career. I’ve continues to be impressed.”

The game before Lillard broke the record, the Blazers played at Houston. Lillard could have set the mark with a 46-point performance against the Rockets. He didn’t come close, but Drexler has taken criticism for not attending the game in case the record was set. In September, he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, “When he comes close to the record, if our schedules align, I would love to be there to help out any way I can.” The schedules didn’t align.

“I was invited to go by the Blazers, and by the Rockets, too,” Clyde says now. “I was traveling during that time.”

I ask Drexler the million-dollar question: Is he still the greatest Blazer of them all?

“I will never respond to that,” he says. “Never going to have that conversation with anybody. People are entitled to their opinion. No problem with that. I respect everyone. You put up your body of work and let that do your talking. If they think (that makes him No. 1), great. If not, that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to it.”

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Terry Porter

Lillard would have much preferred to set the record at home. The Blazers planned a big celebration in their first game back home against Charlotte. In the time between Lillard’s record-setting night and Monday, I got on the horn with some people whose opinions I respect.

Terry Porter, twice an All-Star point guard with Portland, was Drexler’s backcourt partner for eight years. Porter also spent four years (2016-20) as head coach at the University of Portland, so he has been in town for much of Lillard’s career.

“Clyde and Dame play different positions, but they own some of the same characteristics,” says Porter, who lives in Portland. “They are both winners, willing to put in the work and do whatever it takes to become the best player they can be. Clyde was more athletic than Dame. For his size, he could handle the ball well. He was more a driver and scorer. I’d put Dame more in the shooting category.

“The game has changed so dramatically with the 3-point line. The 3 wasn’t even a main weapon when I played (1985-2002). I was one of the best 3-point shooters, and I attempted about three a game. Nowadays, the good shooters take eight to 10.”

I checked the stats. Porter averaged 2.6 3-point attempts during his career. He attempted only 200 3-pointers during his first five seasons. Lillard took 503 attempts as a rookie in 2012-13 and has launched as many as 704 in a season. Drexler averaged 2.4 3-point attempts per game for his career. Lillard is at 8.2. If in the 5-plus more attempts Dame takes, he makes two, that’s six extra points a game.

“They both are great players,” Porter says. “They both take pride at both ends of the floor. Both take pride at having the ball in their hands when it calls for them to carry their team and make plays and help the team be successful. They had individual accolades that were special and also gave a lot of themselves to do things in the city of Portland and the state of Oregon.”

So who is the greatest of them all?

“I’m biased,” he says. “I played with Clyde. I would put him atop my list. The longevity and sustainability from both Clyde and Dame has been proven. Clyde’s size allowed him to do a lot more things. He was a great rebounder and had the ability to anticipate and get steals. There are few guys who could get out in open space and finish around the rim like Clyde, with his size and athleticism, but also quickness and change of speed. Dame has some great attributes as well.

“The thing that is amazing to me is with Dame and Steph, those 35-foot 3’s. They do it so effortlessly. It’s like a 15-foot shot for them. Jack Ramsay would go bananas. He would call timeout and wouldn’t know what to do.”

Porter has one more compliment for Lillard.

“I give him all the credit for being loyal, for staying here and wanting to bring a championship,” Porter says. “Not many players of his stature would not want to play in a place where you’re not in the annual conversation of being a championship contender. So many great ones have chased titles. Not Dame. He’s more like the Greek Freak (Giannis Antetekounmpo), who has stayed in Milwaukee and won a championship.”

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Michael Holton

Michael Holton played with Drexler and Porter as a reserve guard with Portland from 1985-87. He has been on the Blazer broadcast team for 16 years, the last six as radio analyst. He knows Drexler’s game well. He knows Lillard’s game well.

“I put players in two main categories: ‘Go get it’ players and ‘go-to’ players,” Holton says. “You leave a ‘go get it’ player on the floor and he is going to get stats. To me, Clyde falls more in that category. You put Clyde on the floor for 35 minutes, he is going to get his 20 points and do just about everything else. You can count on that.

“In part by virtue of the position Dame plays, he has spent most of his career as a ‘go-to’ player. Ball is in his hands, he is making decisions with the ball, orchestrating the game, directing the game, which is a little different than a ‘go get it’ guy. The most recent edition of Dame, though, is more like ‘go get it.’ He is playing more off the ball this season, and now you leave him on the floor, he picks his spots and gets it done.

“The similarities (between Drexler and Lillard) come in how they impact the game, how they impact winning and losing. How their presence impacts others, how confident you feel in their ability to make winning plays. I put them both in the highest category.”

But who is higher?

“Dame is No. 1,” Holton says. “He is more clutch because of the ‘go-to.’ You can go to Dame on last possession, flatten the floor and he goes and gets you a win. Clyde didn’t do that as much or as well.”

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“The Godfather” Dwight Jaynes

Dwight Jaynes may have seen Drexler and Lillard play basketball more in person than any other human being. Jaynes was a beat reporter for The Oregonian from 1984-91, when Drexler was in his heyday. He was a television reporter for Comcast SportsNet Northwest and NBC Sports Northwest for the first part of Lillard’s career and is now a talk-show host on the Blazers’ flagship station, Rip City Radio (AM 620).

“Clyde was much more than a scorer,” Jaynes says. “He made his teammates better more so than Dame does. He wasn’t as much of an isolation player as Dame is now. What Clyde got was in the course of the Blazers’ offense.

“Once Rick (Adelman) came in (in 1988), they started their run of great teams, and Clyde sacrificed a lot of his personal scoring so everybody got their touches and could contribute. He was a terrific rebounder at both ends, probably more of a contributor (than Dame) at the defensive end. Dame has had the opportunity to play so much more one-on-one where he can score points. The Blazers live off Damian’s pick-and-roll and isos and that stuff. He gets a lot of chances to score, and the 3 has helped him a lot. That’s a lot of extra points every night.”

So the best player in Blazer history is …

“Clyde,” Jaynes says. “It’s dangerous to rank players of different eras, and Dame has been terrific in his.

It’s the era of the 3-point shot. It owns the game. He is good at that. I give him credit. He has worked hard to be good at that. But Clyde did more things because of his size and athleticism as much as anything else.”

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Kevin Calabro

Kevin Calabro is in his seventh season as the Trail Blazers’ television play-by-play announcer. From 1987-2008, he was the voice of the Blazers’ rival, the Seattle SuperSonics. He saw Drexler play often. He has seen Lillard even more.

“Two different positions, two different styles of play,” Calabro says. “They’re both hard-nosed, determined competitors. Dame being a point guard, he is going to share the ball a little more, though he does seem to dominate it at times. Clyde was a remarkable wing runner who could streak down the floor and finish. He played with intensity above the rim, which Damian doesn’t do.

“Dame has this historic distance and accuracy from 3-point range that nobody has experienced before. He just seems to improve his distance every year. He has been a great teammate and leader, one of the best I’ve been around.”

Who is the best?

“I’m staying out of that one,” Calabro says with a chuckle. “I leave that up to folks who grew up in the area and had an association with both players.”

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Larry Steele

Larry Steele was a member of the Blazers’ 1977 championship team. His No. 15 hangs in the rafters at Moda Center. He has lived in the Portland area for more than 50 years, since he was a rookie in 1971. Steele watched Drexler do his thing in the 1980s and ‘90s. He has watched Lillard do his thing over the past decade.

“Both of them are extremely skilled players,” Steele says. “Both led their team to many wins and, in Damian’s case, continues to. Clyde was a bigger player, more powerful going to the basket, and had a great ability to drive and finish with a dunk or power move. But Damian has an uncanny ability to get his shot over bigger players on drives. His finesse around the basket is amazing.

“Clyde was a solid outside shooter, but Damian is better, with much more range. Both were good defenders, though no one is going to say either is going to be on an All-Defensive team. You only have so much energy on the court. They do what they do very well, with their ability to score and be the leaders on the team.”

Steele mentions off-the-court contributions.

“Damian without a doubt contributed more to the day-to-day relationship between the team and its fans,” Steele says. “Clyde was great with the community, too, but Damian is exceptional.”

Who, then, is the greatest Blazer ever?

“I have two answers,” Steele says. “I played with Bill Walton. There is criticism that he didn’t do it long enough. But when you take the year and a half — that second year we were 50-10 before things fell apart — he was the greatest I’ve seen. But you need an asterisk.

“Between Clyde and Damian, I would say Damian. If he continues on the path he’s been on, it will become more obvious that he is the best player of all-time with the franchise.”

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Jim Paxson

Jim Paxson was the starting shooting guard for the Blazers, a two-time All-Star who played 8 1/2 seasons in Portland, the last 3 1/2 with Drexler. He served seven years as assistant general manager with the Blazers and has in recent years been a scout for the Chicago Bulls.

“Clyde was such a dynamic athlete who evolved into a great scorer as his career went on,” says Paxson, who now resides in Phoenix after living in Portland for many years. “He was able to not just attack the rim off the dribble but became a pretty good mid-range scorer, and got to the foul line.

“Damian has made the court even be bigger, because he can shoot from so far outside the 3-point line, and he gets to the line a lot. As guys get older, they don’t get to the line as much. For being his size and what he has been able to do against teams focusing on him, it’s been incredible.

“Those two years they went to the Finals, Clyde had a better supporting cast than Damian has had, but they both had a tremendous impact on the franchise. Damian did it in a lot less games because of the 3-point shot and how the game has changed.”

Paxson was an executive with the Blazers during Drexler’s final 3 1/2 seasons with the club.

“He was still athletic, but his game had evolved and he became a better player as his career went along,” Paxson says. “Clyde had the size and strength and was a physical specimen. When the Blazers faced the Bulls in the ’92 Finals, (Michael) Jordan was either the greatest of all time or one of them, and Clyde was right there with him competing. They were both great players.”

Paxson declines to pick a “greatest” between Drexler and Lillard.

“Different eras,” Passion says. “People ask about Michael and LeBron (James). Michael won a lot of championships, but LeBron has had a lot of success, too. For the era they came in, each was the greatest player.

“It’s 1A and 1B. Damian is still writing his book. He’s not going anywhere soon. He’ll have a chance with the players around him to build up that scoring total. It doesn’t make Clyde a lesser player. They’re both unique players in their own right.”

Paxson has one more thought about Lillard.

“He has been great for the organization and the city,” Paxson says. “He is respectful and has a good awareness of the team’s past and the players who were there. I listened to the TV interview after he broke the record; he was humble about it, deflecting credit. He is a real pro and a credit to his team and what’s right about the game.”

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Terry Stotts

You won’t get an argument about from Terry Stotts, who coached Lillard for his first nine seasons in Portland. Stotts came into the NBA as an assistant with Seattle in 1992-93, when Drexler was still a force with the Blazers.

“Clyde was a great player, but  I can only speak to Dame and my perception of what he has been as a Blazer,” says Stotts, now living in Florida. “I knew him beyond the basketball player. That tells more of the story. Dame has meant so much as a leader, with how handles himself on and off the court, with what he’s done for the community, how much he has embraced the city.”

Like others, Stotts points out it is difficult to compare eras.

“Clyde ended his career almost 25 years ago,” Stotts says. “The game has changed. Steph and Dame and all the great shooters in the last 10 years have redefined how the NBA game is. The circumstances makes it difficult to compare the two.”

Of all the attributes Lillard has, leadership was the one Stotts appreciated the most.

“He made my job easier, the way he handled himself as a leader of the team,” Stotts says. “We didn’t have discipline issues. Didn’t have any drama. Dame led by example. In my nine years there, I never heard much disgruntlement with the players. There wasn’t dissension. His leadership paved the way for our success.

“His shooting speaks for itself. He is an even better shooter than his percentages would suggest. The biggest thing he is known for is hitting big shots. That’s where he made his mark. We knew we were never out of a game because of his offensive abilities. He could manufacture shots, create problems for the defense. He got better at getting to the free throw line, his passing improved. He figured out how to maneuver through pick-and-rolls as defenses changed on him. He added to his game over time.”

Guessing, then, that you’re picking Lillard?

“Clyde had a great run with the Blazers,” Stotts says. “But no question in my mind, for everything Dame has done on and off the court, for the franchise and the community, he is the greatest Blazer of all time.”

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We move on to Monday night at Moda, where Blazer management has planned a post-game celebration of Lillard’s recent accomplishment. The lowly Charlotte Hornets threaten to spoil things, but their 14-point second-quarter lead vanishes quickly and Portland pulls out the win.

Video tributes play during timeouts throughout the game, from such NBA notables as Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Gregg Popovich and former teammates such as LaMarcus Aldridge and CJ McCollum. There is also a video montage paying tribute to Drexler’s time with the Blazers.

It’s not a crowning-glory kind of game for Lillard, who never finds his shooting rhythm. He finishes with 17 points and nine assists but also has five turnovers and hits only 5 of 18 shots from the field, including 1 of 10 from 3-point range. The victory, though, trumps any personal dissatisfaction.

Dame sits with members of his family, including wife Kay’la, their three young children and brother Houston, in chairs set out on the Moda court. TV analyst Lamar Hurd hosts with about half the sellout crowd of 19,530 staying on hand for the tribute. All of Lillard’s coaches and teammates sit along what used to be called “press row” between the teams’ benches, watching a video display on the Jumbotron that features career highlights.

Hurd announces the Blazers are donating $18,041 — a dollar for every point in the total that got Lillard past Drexler a week earlier — to a pair of charities, Special Olympics and Lillard’s “Respect” program.

There is an awkward hug between owner Jody Allen and Dame as he is presented a trophy/plaque inscriber with “All-time scoring leader.”

Then comes a chant from the stands:  “MVP! MVP!”

Holding one of the twins and with all three of the Lillard tots scurrying about the area, Lillard takes the microphone at the podium at center court.

“This is what it looks like at home every day, keeping track of these kids,” he says to laughs in the audience.

Lillard credits those around him for his hoop successes, but also credits himself.

“When I look at this type of accomplishment, I’m reminded of all the people who played a part in this journey,” he says. “I don’t mean to diminish my role. I did the work. … I’m not the most talented, I’m not the most gifted, I’m not the biggest, but I’ve managed to get every bit of what’s in there out of what I have been given.

“But also, a lot of people I’ve come across in this journey have helped make it all possible — trainers, coaches, teachers in high school and college, who saw potential in me as a man and not just an athlete and challenged me in every area. That shaped me into the man I am today.”

Lillard thanks members of his family, who emphasized sharing and hard work.

“Everybody I grew up with played a part in making me tough and selfless,” he says. “It’s about not being afraid to fail, putting your best foot forward and being able to live with that. All of those things come together to make something like possible.”

Lillard closes with this bouquet for the Blazers and their fans:

“I’m thankful for the support you’ve given me over the course of my career. I couldn’t be more thankful to the organization, the city, the fans. This is home for me now. I’m so happy I’ve been able to have this type of ride. … Only one thing left to accomplish. You all know what that is.”

The crowd roars. A championship!

“I’m not just saying that,” he said. “It’s the No. 1 thing for us. We got to get that one last thing done.”

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Chauncey Billups

In the media room following the presentation, Billups says he couldn’t attribute the Blazers’ slow start to being jittery on Lillard’s tribute night.

“I did feel that way about the first Oklahoma City game,” the second-year Portland coach said. “We wanted it to so bad for Dame, it probably cost us the game. It was bittersweet that Dame passed Clyde that night in OKC. I told the guys before the game tonight, make sure we go out and make this a special night he’ll always remember.”

Billups began his 17-year NBA career in 1997-98, Drexler’s final season.

“I grew up watching him,” Chauncey said. “You talk about prototypical two guards, Clyde was it. Super athletic. He could shoot, get to the basket. … a scoring machine. I’ve gotten to know him very well since I retired. That’s been a treat. Talked to him quite a bit over the last month or so with all this stuff going on.

“Clyde left his mark, not only here but on the league, period. He had an incredible career. Clyde was the man.”

But Lillard is Billups’ man now.

“Clyde’s record stood for 27 years,” he said. “Dame’s probably will never be broken. He is going to put it out of reach over the next however many years. Being able to be a part of this is something we all will cherish.”

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Damian Lillard

Lillard arrives next, more than an hour after the final buzzer. He is asked how he felt about the post-game ceremony.

“It made me feel old a little bit,” says Lillard, 32. “All that appreciation for what I’ve done. People sticking around (after the game) and clapping after like every 10 words. These are the people who have cheered me all along. I grew from 21-year-old to a 33-year-old (well, almost) right before their eyes. It was nice to take a step back, see all the clips up there … to be acknowledged like that was a humbling experience.”

The subject strays a bit. Lillard is asked about parenting his cute little kids.

“That’s a job I enjoy more than basketball,” he says. “As they grow up and develop personalities … that’s real unconditional love. As hard as it is, it’s rewarding. It’s something that will fill you up.

Once he retires as a player, might he be seen around Moda Center on game nights, serving as a Blazer ambassador?

“Yeah. Sure,” Lillard says. “I don’t say s**t just to say it. I’ll be around. I built a house here. You’re definitely going to see me popping in here, eating the media food.”

Early in his career, Lillard told me one of his goals was to be considered the greatest player in Trail Blazer history. He has repeated that many times to media through the years. So I ask: Is he there?

“It’s not for me to say,” says Lillard, deferring just as Drexler does. “My trainer Phil Becker, told me, ‘When you’re great, you don’t need to tell everybody. Everybody will tell you.’

“I do think the body of work is there. My commitment and investment to this organization and city is there. Being a winner and having a lot of success individually is there. From notoriety standpoint and being known nationally and internationally, I don’t think anybody done that before me.

“The way I want to stamp myself is by winning the championship, but I think the body of work is there for that claim to be made by other people.”

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The voices among my expert panel seem to lean on the side of Lillard. There is so much to admire. He is terrific with the media, taking the time to answer every question thoroughly. He has been a great contributor to the community, a person admired for his demeanor almost as much as his playing ability.

As a player, he is on a short list of great long-range shooters and scorers in the game today. Lillard set the franchise record in 733 games, 134 fewer than Drexler’s 867. Dame has also become an excellent set-up passer, the result of double-teams and defensive focus that leaves teammates open. Leadership? Absolutely top-drawer.

It’s a tough call, and the emphasis on the 3-point line makes it even more difficult. During his time in Portland, Drexler shot only .303 from 3-point range but .478 overall. Lillard, a career .373 3-point shooter, has a clear advantage from distance, though his .437 field-goal percentage pales.

Drexler was a more versatile player who averaged 20.4 points — without benefit of the 3-point line — 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists through his 11 1/2 seasons with the Blazers. Clyde got a good number of his points going at the basket in an era of shot-blockers such as Olajuwon, Mark Eaton, Manute Bol, David Robinson and Dikembe Mutombo. All averaged at least four blocks a game for a season; no player has ever done that during Lillard’s career.

Drexler was a quick-handed defender, getting his hands out into the passing zone for deflections and a franchise-record 1,795 steals (Porter is second at 1,182). Lillard may have a thicker resume of “clutch” shots through his career, but Drexler had his share, too. Both were excellent leaders — Clyde perhaps more by example, Lillard a bit more vocal.

Both have accolades. Lillard has made the All-NBA first three teams six times — once on the first team, four times on the second team and once on the third team. Drexler made it five times — one first, two seconds, two thirds. Clyde was runner-up to Jordan for Most Valuable Player in 1992, the year he was part of the original “Dream Team” that earned Olympic gold at Barcelona. Lillard’s highest MVP finish was fourth in 2018.

Drexler led his team to two NBA Finals. Lillard has yet to guide his team past the conference finals. If you argue Clyde had a better supporting cast, you could be right, though he never played on a team with three 20-point scorers as does Lillard with Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons.

Clyde is in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Dame is headed there.

Younger fans will likely choose Lillard as the greatest Blazer of them all. Those over 40 will probably pick Drexler. I’m slightly on the plus side there, and yes, with a crossbow cocked and aimed at my skull, I’ll take Clyde.

That could change — likely it will — as the years go on. For now, we can enjoy Paxson’s 1A and 1Bs and feel grateful to have watched Clyde and Dame in a Blazer uniform during our lifetime.

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