Michael Jordan Hit “The Shot” Over Ehlo 26 Years Ago Today

Only 26 years old and beginning to wade into his lethal, dominating prime, Michael Jordan clinched one of the greatest plays in sports history with “The Shot” 26 years ago today.

On May 7, 1989, the number six seed Bulls and three seed Cavs squared off at Richfield Coliseum in a winner-take-all first round Game 5. Everyone remembers MJ hanging in the air long enough to evade Cleveland guard Craig Ehlo’s outstretched left hand and subsequently scramble Cavs fans’ psyche for years to come. But Ehlo actually made some big shots in Game 5, including a driving kamikaze layup with three seconds left to give the Cavs a 100-99 edge.

But we know a lot can happen in three little ticks of the clock. That’s all MJ needs to insert the dagger. He catches the inbound from reserve forward Brad Sellers, hurriedly cuts horizontally across the court while keeping control of the ball, elevates, floats not a tick longer than he needs to clear Ehlo, launches, the shot ricochets in. Bulls 101, Cavs 100. Bulls 3-2.

Jordan finished with 44 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal in 44 minutes. And he made history in his playoff shoe that season, Nike Air Jordan IV in Black/Cement Grey.

Relive footage of “The Shot” from both sides of the coin below.

Here’s one of the most replayed angles of the event. Still chills.

The reverse angle showing the plays leading up to “The Shot.” Real fun starts at 1:41 mark. Enjoy.