A 6-6 guard/forward from Odessa Junior College and Washington State University, Texas native Craig Ehlo led the Cougars to the NCAA tournament in his senior season. Selected in the third round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, the team made it to the 1986 NBA Finals.

Ehlo spent seven seasons with the Cavs from 1987 to 1993 as he produced 5,130 points, 2,285 assists, and 2,267 rebounds. His teammates include Ohio Basketball Hall of Famers Mark Price, Larry Nance, Ron Harper, Phil Hubbard, Brad Daugherty and Hot Rod Williams. He hit a career-high 31 points three times in his pro career while defending against NBA legends such as Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Larry Bird.

One of the most pivotal games of his career occurred in 1989. The Cavaliers were favored in a first-round series against Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Playoffs. While battling an ankle injury, he managed to score 24 points off the bench — 15 in the 4th quarter. His layup in the final seconds took the Cavs up by one. Bob Costas called the game for CBS and said Ehlo and Price played “the game of their lives.” With just three seconds to go, the Bulls inbounded the ball to Jordan, who, defended by Ehlo, made what is now famously known as “The Shot” — the series-clinching jumper followed by his signature leap into the air that advanced the Bulls to the next round of the playoffs.

Ehlo went on to spend three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and one season with Seattle before retiring after the 1996-97 season. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, amassing career totals of 7,492 points, 2,456 assists, and 3,139 rebounds.

Post-retirement, he contributed to Gonzaga men’s basketball and Washington State as an analyst, along with serving as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University. Today, Ehlo lives in Washington with his family and coaches Nike Camps across the country, including LeBron James’ camp in Akron.