"I let my game do the talking" - Clyde Drexler on not talking trash to Michael Jordan in the 1992 Finals

The 1992 NBA Finals had a pair of legendary shooting guards battle for supremacy. Of course, Michael Jordan came out on top to lead the Chicago Bulls to a back-to-back title. Meanwhile, Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers had to settle for a runner-up finish.

On a positive note, the Blazers put up an admirable fight and gained Jordan's respect . Many fans also noted that there wasn't much trash-talking between Drexler and MJ on the floor and in the media. According to "Clyde the Glide," there was no need to resort to that tactic.

"I didn't need to," he told Ricky Olivares of Bleachers Brew. "The Bulls had a very good team, and I respected them. And talking trash was just not part of my game. I let my game do the talking. In that Finals, my leg was swelling. My right leg — my strong leg — every week, they were draining it of fluid."

Mutual respect between MJ and Clyde

It would have been understandable for Jordan and Drexler to engage in verbal warfare whenever they faced each other on the court. After all, their careers intertwined in various ways, including matching up in the NCAA Tournament in the early 1980s and having an opportunity to be Blazers teammates in the 1984 draft. In addition, their play styles almost resembled one another's.

However, the pair didn't seem to offer harsh words to each other, except probably for some friendly banters. Drexler even once said that "His Airness" never talked trash to him.

"He never said anything to me," the 10-time All-Star stated. "'How's your family? How you doin'?' A lot of mutual respect."

Perhaps Drexler's warm personality stopped opponents from throwing mean words at him. Not that it would have mattered, though, because, as he said, he let his game do the talking.

Drexler's unfortunate injury

Sadly, the Blazers icon couldn't "talk" that much in the 1992 Finals due to his knee injury, which he sustained during a regular-season game against the New York Knicks. Drexler still performed admirably in the playoffs, averaging 26.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game.

However, in the championship stage, his numbers dipped to 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per contest.

That campaign actually marked the start of Clyde's decline. Following his stint with Team USA in the 1992 Olympics, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. After that, he managed to register more than 20 points per game in a season just once. Fortunately, Drexler still got to hoist the championship trophy after he was traded to the Houston Rockets in the 1994-95 campaign.

Related: "Play him with me, not behind me" - When Clyde Drexler suggested to his former Blazers coach to play Drazen Petrovic more