The Shot

Chances are you remember the shot and the subsequent celebration. The Cleveland Cavaliers sure do. It was May 7, ’89, but it still seems like yesterday-Michael Jordan, with the game and playoff series on the line, hanging in the air seemingly forever before canning a 15-foot buzzer-beater. Him leaping for joy, screaming at the Cleveland fans and punching the air repeatedly before collapsing to the hardwood in elation. Looking back, the reaction may seem a bit uncharacteristic, but it was the pinnacle of an emotional roller coaster the Bulls’ star had been riding for weeks. The low point had come only two days before, as he sat in the locker room of Chicago Stadium after a Game Four overtime loss, tears flowing. Despite loosing nine of their last 11 regular season games, and despite dropping all six regular-season meetings with the Cavs, Jordan had predicted the Bulls would win the best-of-five series. From the moment Jordan took the court at the Richfield Coliseum for Game Five, the Cavs’ fans rode him hard. The boos and catcalls rained down each time he touched the ball. Throughout the first half, Jordan, whom coach Doug Collins had moved to point guard late in the season, looked for Pip, Ho Grant and Bill Cartwright for easy bucket after easy bucket. He settled for 14 points of his own by the intermission, while keeping the score close. Then, in the final 24 minutes, he came out looking for his. He added 30 digits in the second half on 19 shots, but none was bigger than the last. Coming out of a huddle, Jordan boldly predicted to teammate Craig Hodges that he would win the game. Sure enough, with three seconds on the clock, MJ caught the inbounds pass, drove to the free throw line, jumped straight up, double-pumped as Craig Ehlo floated by, and released. The buzzer sounded, the red light went on. Swish. Although the Bulls would go on to lose to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, a new era was beginning.

Just ask Ehlo.-JERAMIE MCPEEK