Craig Ehlo Explains How Michael Jordan Hit ‘The Shot’ In His Face

It’s mind-boggling how perfectly scripted Michael Jordan‘s career ended up. Take away those annoying years with Washington, and his legend as we know it sort of started with “The Shot” and then ended with “The Last Shot.” Yes, most won’t agree with me… and they’ll say it began with the day he was disguised as God. But in terms of winning, and elevating his status to the best in the game, it began on a Sunday in 1989 when Jordan ended Cleveland and Craig Ehlo‘s season. Jordan was never the same. But neither was Ehlo.

Ehlo still had some productive years in the league, but that shot trailed him wherever he went. Even today, he still remembers the exact date. In Game 4, Jordan had choked, missed two free throws that would’ve won the series and in Game 5, the Bulls were on the ropes until MJ saved them.

As CSNChicago.com writes, the finals seconds of that game were incredibly memorable. Jordan scored to put the Bulls up with six seconds left. But then Ehlo came back and got a shot to fall just out of reach of Jordan. Twice the game should’ve been over. But when the Bulls drew up the final play, everyone knew where it was going, most of all Ehlo.

“I was in a dead run, so I flew right by him with my hand in his face,” Ehlo told CSNChicago.com. “People always say that I played good defense because I had a hand in his face. He was able to hang in the air for a longer period of time than I was, and let me fly by.”

It must be hard to constantly have people ask him about this play, even two decades later. It never ends, and as long as he’s alive, Ehlo will be answering questions about how it felt to bear witness to MJ’s wrath. That sounds like it sucks. But Ehlo doesn’t see it that way.

“Everybody has a great signature moment,” Ehlo told CSNChicago.com. “My signature moment came on a bad side, but I still consider it a great signature moment.”