Do You Remember the Night Michael Jordan Rose Above Craig Ehlo? The Legendary Shot That Shattered Cleveland’s Hopes, Launched Chicago’s Dynasty, and Forever Etched Two Names into NBA History
When basketball fans think of the NBA playoffs in the late 1980s, one moment often echoes louder than most — Michael Jordan rising above Craig Ehlo to hit one of the most iconic shots in basketball history. That unforgettable jumper in Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference First Round between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers has lived on as one of the NBA’s greatest highlights.
Jordan, already a rising superstar, had carried the Bulls that series with his scoring brilliance. The Cavaliers, a strong team led by Mark Price, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, and Craig Ehlo, were widely considered the favorites. Yet destiny, as it turned out, had other plans.
With three seconds left on the clock and Cleveland clinging to a one-point lead, the ball was inbounded to Jordan. Guarded tightly by Ehlo, he dribbled to his left, rose in mid-air, double-clutched, and nailed the jumper over Ehlo’s outstretched arm. The buzzer sounded, the Bulls won, and history was made.
That play — forever known simply as “The Shot” — didn’t just send Chicago to the next round. It became a symbol of Jordan’s relentless will to win and marked the beginning of a dynasty that would dominate the 1990s.
For Craig Ehlo, however, that moment became both a badge of honor and a bittersweet memory. Despite being a strong defender and a respected contributor for the Cavaliers, he has been forever remembered as the man Jordan scored over in that legendary clip. Even today, Ehlo admits the pain of the loss, but also takes pride in being part of a defining moment in NBA history.
Interestingly, Ehlo’s defense on the play wasn’t bad at all — in fact, many analysts have argued that he contested Jordan as well as anyone could. But Jordan’s greatness was simply undeniable. Sometimes, there’s no stopping history.
Over the years, Ehlo and Jordan have occasionally reflected on that fateful play. Jordan has acknowledged that moments like that defined his career, pushing him to rise in pressure situations. Ehlo, meanwhile, has embraced his place in NBA lore, recognizing that being linked to Jordan’s greatness is something few can claim.
That single shot has been replayed countless times in NBA highlight reels, documentaries, and anniversary specials. It even appeared in The Last Dance, Jordan’s celebrated documentary series, reminding fans yet again of just how pivotal that moment was for both men.
For Cavaliers fans, the memory still stings, representing one of several playoff heartbreaks in franchise history before LeBron James finally delivered a championship decades later. For Bulls fans, it was the beginning of something beautiful — the start of a run that would include six NBA championships.
And so, Michael Jordan and Craig Ehlo remain forever connected — one as the conqueror, the other as the defender in the wrong place at the wrong time. Together, they created a moment that transcended basketball, becoming a piece of sports history that will never fade.
