Trent Tucker recalls the play that got his name immortalized in an NBA rule: "At that time, we didn't have a second option"
trent-tucker
Trent Tucker won an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1993, but Tucker will always be remembered for something he did against MJ's Bulls, not with them.
Before Tucker played with MJ, he spent 9 seasons with the New York Knicks as one of the most dreaded three-point shooters during that era. During his stint in the Big Apple, Tucker immortalized himself with one iconic play.
"I can remember the play just like it was yesterday," said Tucker. "The play was designed to throw a lob pass to Patrick Ewing, but Michael Jordan read the play, and he took away that first option. And at that time, we didn't have a second option."
Tucker sinks Bulls with 0.1 game-winner
It was Martin Luther King Day in 1990 when the Chicago Bulls visited the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. MJ struggled that night, shooting just 9-24 from the field, but finished with 26 points. Meanwhile, Patrick Ewing had a big game for the Knicks with 33 points and 12 rebounds.
The game was tied at 106-all when Scottie Pippen fouled Mark Jackson with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. Because the Bulls weren't in a penalty, the Knicks only inbounded the ball and needed to come up with a game-winning play with one-tenth of a second to work with.
"So I just kind of improvised and knew that Mark Jackson was up against the five-second count on the sideline," recalled Tucker. "And I ran in front of him, and he gave me a little flip pass, and I turned and shot the ball as quickly as I could. And lucky for us on that day the ball went in."
The Trent Tucker Rule
The game was the first and the last to be decided in that manner. A few weeks later, the NBA announced a rule that at least three-tenths of a second was needed on the clock for a catch-and-shoot play to happen. That rule is on Page 55 of the NBA Rule Book: Heading, "Comments on the Rules", subhead, "Expiration of Time":
"The game clock must show 00.3 or more in order for a player to secure possession of the ball on a rebound or throw-in to attempt a field goal. . .The only type of field goal that may be scored if the game clock is at :00.2 or 00.1 is a `tip-in' or ' high lob.'" as per nba.com.
Today, that rule is better known as The Trent Tucker Rule for apparent reasons. Tucker was never good enough to make it to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Despite that, he is immortalized because of a rule created after his unforgettable MLK game-winner.