{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Craig Ehlo | image = File:87-88 Cle Cavs (cropped).png | caption = | number = 3 | position = Shooting guard | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 6 | weight_lb = 180 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|08|11}} | birth_place = Lubbock, Texas, U.S. | high_school = Monterey (Lubbock, Texas) | college = *Odessa College (1979–1981) *Washington State (1981–1983) | draft_year = 1983 | draft_round = 3 | draft_pick = 48 | draft_team = Houston Rockets | career_start = 1983 | career_end = 1997 | years1 = {{nbay|1983|start}}–{{nbay|1985|end}} | team1 = Houston Rockets | years2 = 1986 | team2 = Mississippi Jets<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2016/01/17/1987-1989-mississippi-jets-basketball/|title=1987-1988 Mississippi Jets|date=17 January 2016}}</ref> | years3 = {{nbay|1986|end}}–{{nbay|1992|end}} | team3 = Cleveland Cavaliers | years4 = {{nbay|1993|start}}–{{nbay|1995|end}} | team4 = Atlanta Hawks | years5 = {{nbay|1996|full=y}} | team5 = Seattle SuperSonics | cyears1 = 2011–2013 | cteam1 = Eastern Washington (assistant) | stats_league = NBA | stat1label = Points | stat1value = 7,492 (8.6 ppg) | stat2label = Rebounds | stat2value = 3,139 (3.6 rpg) | stat3label = Assists | stat3value = 2,456 (2.8 apg) | bbr = ehlocr01 | image_size = 140 }} '''Joel Craig Ehlo''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|iː|l|oʊ}}; born August 11, 1961) is an American former basketball player.<ref>{{cite web|title=Where Are They Now? Craig Ehlo|url=http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=4C4D2C1E2D544CB4ADEE5DF8AA734354|work=Cleveland Magazine|access-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> He played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with four teams, amassing career totals of 7,492 points, 2,456 assists and 3,139 rebounds.
==Playing career== A {{convert|6|ft|6|in|abbr=on}} guard/forward from Odessa Junior College and Washington State University,<ref name=thechoi>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=95dfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2938%2C2559527 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |last=Ramsdell |first=Paul |title=The choice |date=March 7, 1983 |page=1C}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/ehlocr01.html| title = Craig Ehlo Stats {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players/e/craig_ehlo.htm|title = NBA Players: Craig Ehlo Profile and Basic Stats}}</ref> and led the Cougars to the NCAA tournament in his senior season.<ref name=handext>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Lt4qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GYMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3188%2C935214 |work=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |last=Robinson |first=Doug |title=WSU hands Weber an early exit |date=March 18, 1983 |page=4B}}</ref><ref name=ralph>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r-0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nu4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6832%2C1204370 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Devlin |first=Vince |title=Cougs earn a crack at Ralph |date=March 18, 1983 |page=25}}</ref> Ehlo was selected in the third round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, and went with the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals in a losing cause to the Boston Celtics.
Ehlo spent the majority of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and was originally signed when Mark Price went down with an injury. With Cleveland, he tallied 5,130 points, 2,285 assists, and 2,267 rebounds in seven seasons (1987–1993). Ehlo is perhaps best remembered for being the victim of one of Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan's greatest performances. On May 7, 1989, Ehlo was defending Jordan when he made "The Shot", the series-clinching jumper in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in front of a Cleveland home crowd, then considered an upset as the Cavaliers were the third seed in the east and Chicago was the sixth. Ehlo's career high in points was 31, achieved three times: v. Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Ron Harper.
Ehlo spent the second half of his career with the Atlanta Hawks as Steve Smith's backup. Before the 1996–97 season, he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, but was used sparingly and did not play during the playoffs.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Bart Wright |title=It wasn't the year Sonics envisioned |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1997/05-18/0017_it_wasn_t_the_year_sonics_envisio.html |access-date=7 October 2019 |work=Kitsap Sun |date=18 May 1997 |archive-date=October 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007210840/https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1997/05-18/0017_it_wasn_t_the_year_sonics_envisio.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was waived by the SuperSonics in October that year before the start of the 1997–98 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sonics Waive Craig Ehlo |url=https://apnews.com/911aa1f34d28f32629062ab932af4c34 |access-date=7 October 2019 |work=AP News |date=31 October 1997}}</ref>
==Post-retirement== Ehlo worked as an analyst on Gonzaga men's basketball games for five seasons, then became an assistant coach for Eastern Washington University in 2011.<ref name=elext>{{cite web |url=https://www.gonzagabulletin.com/ehlo-exits-ex-bulldogs-join-broadcasting-crew/article_99fc8ad5-c4c9-5bd4-af0b-d764964b4a91.html |work=Gonzaga Bulletin |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Powell |first=Ian |title=Ehlo exits, ex-Bulldogs join broadcasting crew |date=October 3, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref> He coached at EWU for two years, until resigning on July 11, 2013. Later that year, Ehlo underwent drug treatment owing to an addiction to prescription painkillers following back surgery.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/08/14/arraignment-delayed-for-ehlo/2657783/ |title=Craig |agency=Associated Press |date=August 14, 2013|access-date=August 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name=srnofem>{{cite news |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/may/05/craig-ehlo-turned-around-his-life-after-one-night-/ |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |last=Blanchette |first=John |title=Craig Ehlo turned around his life after one night of public embarrassment |date=May 5, 2019 |access-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref>
In July 2019, Ehlo was hired as a color analyst on all Washington State Cougars men's basketball home games during the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Theo Lawson |title=Former Washington State standout Craig Ehlo takes on new role in Cougars' broadcast booth |url=https://www.swxrightnow.com/stories/2019/jul/30/former-washington-state-standout-craig-ehlo-takes-/ |access-date=7 October 2019 |work=SWX Right Now |date=30 July 2019}}</ref>
==NBA career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===Regular season=== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1983}} | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 7 || 0 || 9.0 || .407 || {{sort|-|—}} || '''1.000''' || 1.3 || .9 || .4 || .0 || 3.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1984}} | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 45 || 0 || 4.2 || '''.493''' || .000 || .633 || .6 || .6 || .2 || .1 || 1.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1985}} | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 36 || 0 || 5.5 || .429 || .333 || .793 || 1.3 || .8 || .3 || .1 || 2.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1986}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 44 || 15 || 20.2 || .414 || .172 || .707 || 3.7 || 2.1 || .9 || '''.7''' || 6.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1987}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 79 || 27 || 21.6 || .466 || .344 || .674 || 3.2 || 2.6 || 1.0 || .4 || 7.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1988}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | '''82''' || 4 || 22.8 || .475 || .390 || .607 || 3.6 || 3.2 || 1.3 || .2 || 7.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1989}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 81 || 64 || '''35.7''' || .464 || '''.419''' || .681 || '''5.4''' || '''4.6''' || 1.6 || .3 || '''13.6''' |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1990}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | '''82''' || 68 || 33.7 || .445 || .329 || .679 || 4.7 || '''4.6''' || 1.5 || .4 || 10.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1991}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 63 || 62 || 32.0 || .453 || .413 || .707 || 4.9 || 3.8 || 1.2 || .3 || 12.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1992}} | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | '''82''' || '''73''' || 31.2 || .490 || .381 || .717 || 4.9 || 3.1 || 1.3 || .3 || 11.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1993}} | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | '''82''' || 0 || 26.2 || .446 || .348 || .727 || 3.4 || 3.3 || '''1.7''' || .3 || 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1994}} | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 49 || 0 || 23.8 || .453 || .381 || .620 || 3.0 || 2.3 || .9 || .1 || 9.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1995}} | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 79 || 8 || 22.3 || .428 || .371 || .786 || 3.2 || 1.7 || 1.1 || .1 || 8.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"|{{Nbay|1996}} | style="text-align:left;"|Seattle | 62 || 0 || 13.7 || .351 || .284 || .500 || 1.8 || 1.1 || .6 || .1 || 3.5 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 873 || 321 || 24.1 || .453 || .369 || .689 || 3.6 || 2.8 || 1.1 || .3 || 8.6 {{s-end}}
===Playoffs=== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"|1985 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 3 || 0 || 2.0 || '''1.000''' || {{sort|-|—}} || '''1.000''' || 5.0 || .5 || .3 || '''.5''' || 1.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1986 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 10 || 0 || 3.8 || .500 || .000 || .800 || .3 || .6 || .4 || .1 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1988 | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 5 || 1 || 25.6 || .425 || .000 || .625 || 3.6 || 3.4 || 1.0 || .0 || 8.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1989 | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 4 || 1 || 24.8 || .436 || .385 || .818 || 1.5 || 3.3 || .8 || .3 || 12.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1990 | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 5 || 5 || '''39.2''' || .419 || .333 || .632 || '''6.4''' || '''6.4''' || 1.2 || .0 || '''13.8''' |- | style="text-align:left;"|1992 | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | '''17''' || '''14''' || 32.5 || .414 || '''.412''' || .762 || 4.5 || 4.5 || 1.2 || .3 || 9.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1993 | style="text-align:left;"|Cavaliers | 9 || 9 || 32.1 || .418 || .385 || .800 || 3.4 || 2.8 || '''1.3''' || .4 || 10.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1994 | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 11 || 0 || 28.8 || .424 || .348 || .708 || 2.7 || 3.6 || 1.0 || .0 || 11.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1995 | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 3 || 0 || 16.3 || .167 || .167 || '''1.000''' || 2.3 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|1996 | style="text-align:left;"|Atlanta | 9 || 0 || 19.0 || .293 || .304 || .714 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .2 || 4.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 76 || 30 || 24.3 || .409 || .343 || .734 || 2.9 || 2.9 || 1.0 || .2 || 8.1 {{s-end}}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{basketballstats|nba=378}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20010211190749/http://nba.com/playerfile/bio/craig_ehlo.html Craig Ehlo biography] on NBA.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ehlo, Craig}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:American men's basketball players Category:Atlanta Hawks players Category:Basketball players from Texas Category:Cleveland Cavaliers players Category:Houston Rockets draft picks Category:Houston Rockets players Category:Mississippi Jets players Category:Odessa Wranglers men's basketball players Category:Seattle SuperSonics players Category:Shooting guards Category:Small forwards Category:Sportspeople from Lubbock, Texas Category:Washington State Cougars men's basketball players Category:20th-century American sportsmen