Thirty-two years ago, Cavs’ Craig Ehlo prompted Joe Tait’s famous ‘Santa Claus’ call

It was 32 years ago this weekend that Joe Tait uttered the phrase, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus … and he comes from Lubbock, Texas!”

Tait was speaking about Craig Ehlo, the former Cavaliers guard who buried a game-winner to beat the Utah Jazz at the buzzer on Dec. 23, 1991. Final score: Cavs 113, Jazz 112.

Occasional Hoops Wire contributor John Sabol of Fox 8 News recapped the victory (and the late and legendary Tait’s radio call) on his Saturday sportscast. John is also a good friend and co-host of Cavs on the Break podcast. So we posted his segment here.

Brad Daugherty and Henry James each had 19 points to lead the Cavs that day, with Mark Price adding 17 points and seven assists. Ehlo scored 14 — and of course, the three that mattered most.

I actually attended that game, with Cleveland sportscaster Jeff Phelps. I grew up on the same street as Jeff and we were friends long before we ever co-hosted the Cavs in the Paint magazine show on Fox Sports Ohio (now Bally Sports).

Interestingly, in 1991, I hadn’t even dreamed that I’d be writing about the Cavs and NBA for a career, and definitely had never heard the word “website.”

As for those Cavs, they went on to finish 57-25 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, before losing in six games to — you guessed it — Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Big props to @MrCleveland_216 for reminding everyone of Joe Tait’s famous “Craig Ehlo Santa Claus Call” 32 years ago yesterday!@eggsehlo told @ScottSabolFOX8 & me on our @SabolBrothers pod last year it was his favorite Tait memory.@cavs @fox8news
#LetEmKnow @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/lZYVcORcCk

— John Sabol (@John_Sabol) December 24, 2023