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Drexler expects NBA lockout to end
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Posted on Jan 04 1999
CHICAGO— Clyde Drexler expects the NBA lockout to end with an abbreviated season to follow.
“I’d be very much surprised if there is not a season,” Drexler, the former NBA star who retired after last season and now coaches his alma mater, the University of Houston, said Sunday.
“I’m looking at a 41-game season and playoffs. The owners really wanted that. The players wanted a full season.”
Drexler, who played in the NBA for 15 years and was voted one of the 50 greatest players, said the players’ union is solidified and won’t crack. The drop dead day for canceling the season is Thursday.
“The players’ union represents the voice of the players,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a (full) vote. Don’t try to divide the union.”
How about his Dream Team teammate Michael Jordan? Will he return if the lockout ends or will he retire?
“I have no guess on Michael,” Drexler said the day after a blizzard struck Chicago. “I guess he’s not around with all this snow. He’s probably somewhere where it’s sunny.
“Even if he told me, I wouldn’t betray his trust like some of his other friends. I won’t mention any names,” he said with a laugh, referring to Charles Barkley. Barkley recently said that Jordan, his good friend, would retire.
Associated Press
