Craig Ehlo
A durable and versatile NBA guard whose career is forever linked to one of the sport's most iconic game-winning shots.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American basketball player·Birthday: August 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Craig Ehlo's 15-year NBA journey is the story of a basketball craftsman, a player valued for his defensive grit, smart passing, and unwavering professionalism. Drafted in the third round, he carved out a substantial career by being ready to do whatever his team needed, whether starting or coming off the bench for the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and Seattle SuperSonics. To most fans, however, Ehlo is eternally framed in a single, heartbreaking moment: as the helpless defender on the floor after Michael Jordan's 'The Shot' over him to win the 1989 playoff series. Yet that moment belies his true legacy. He was a reliable and intelligent player who averaged double-digit points for several seasons and was a key part of competitive teams. His longevity and adaptability are a truer measure of his success than a single, albeit legendary, play.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Craig was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 15 seasons in the NBA, appearing in over 900 games with four different franchises.
- Averaged a career-high 13.6 points per game during the 1989-90 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Recorded career totals of over 7,400 points, 3,100 rebounds, and 2,400 assists.
- Was a key rotation player for the 1992-93 Cleveland Cavaliers team that won 54 games.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the third round (48th overall) of the 1983 NBA draft.
After his playing career, he served as an assistant coach for the NBA's Phoenix Suns.
He played college basketball at Washington State University.
The famous 'The Shot' by Michael Jordan over Ehlo occurred in Game 5 of the first round of the 1989 NBA Playoffs.
“My job was to guard the best, and I took that personally.”
