Why are they called shattered backboards?

Asked by: Anthony Cai

The name “Shattered Backboard” comes from a moment after Michael Jordan’s rookie season, in the summer of 1985, when he played in an exhibition game in Italy. Jordan, wearing the orange, black, and white of Stefanel Trieste, hit a dunk so hard he shattered the glass backboard.

Why do they call them Shattered Backboard?

I guess you’re also wondering where the name ‘Shattered Backboard’ comes from. On August 1985, after Jordan’s season with the Chicago Bulls, he played an exhibition game in Trieste, Italy. The absolute highlight of this game was Michael Jordan’s dunk. So powerful that Jordan shattered the glass of the backboard.

What is Shattered Backboard?

The Air Jordan 1 “Shattered Backboard” is an orange and black version of Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe. It is inspired by the uniform colors worn by MJ in 1986 when he shattered a glass backboard while dunking in an Italian exhibition game.

What are shattered Jordans?

Shortly after in the Fall of 2016, an Air Jordan 1 ‘Shattered Backboard Away’ (aka ‘Reverse’ and ‘Shattered Backboard 2.0’) was released. The sneaker keeps the black laces and Nike branding, but swaps out the orange toe box and black around the toe and tongue for white.

Did Michael Jordan shatter a backboard?

Perhaps his most famous would be the Bulls’s 1997 trip to Paris but one that doesn’t get talked about enough is his game in Italy on August 26, 1985. It was a Nike exhibition game in Trieste and MJ got a full head of steam, going coast-to-coast before raising up and dunking the ball, resulting in a shattered backboard.

Who was the first NBA player to shatter a backboard?

On November 13, 1979, in the middle of a game at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Philadelphia 76ers center Darryl Dawkins leaps over Kansas City Kings forward Bill Robinzine and slam-dunks the basketball, shattering the fiberglass backboard.

What NBA player has broken the most backboards?

All-star power forward Gus Johnson of the Baltimore Bullets became famous as a backboard breaker in the NBA, shattering three during his career in the 1960s and early 1970s.

When did Jordan wear shattered backboards?

1985

In 1985, Michael Jordan participated in a Nike-sponsored exhibition game in Trieste, Italy. He scored 30 points and even shattered the backboard with a powerful dunk.

What year did the shattered backboards 3.0 come out?

Following the first two releases of the “Shattered Backboard” Air Jordan 1s, Jordan Brand is set to release a third iteration for the Fall 2019 season. The legend colorway nods to when Michael Jordan shattered the backboard with one of his iconic slam dunks during a Nike exhibition tour back in 1985.

How did Shaq break backboards?

He didn’t just shatter the glass, Shaq actually destroyed the support systems holding up the backboard. During his rookie season with the Magic in 1993, Shaq’s put-back dunk somehow deflated the hydraulic system that holds up the backboard, causing it to fold up and lower to the floor.

How many basketball backboards did Shaquille O’Neal break?

In addition to putting up career averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game with the Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavs and Celtics in his 19 seasons, Shaq also damaged about 12.5 backboards (unofficial) over the course of his career.

Do NBA backboards still shatter?

Shattering the backboard in a game of basketball is a rare occurrence. It can also be extremely dangerous, sending shards of glass flying over the players and fans. It’s a stunt that has caused games to be cancelled or delayed, serious injuries and expensive clean-up costs to be incurred.

Did LeBron James ever break the backboard?

“The last time we actually played I shattered the backboard on a dunk so we couldn’t finish the game,” James said in a tweet. James’s response has almost 32,000 likes as of Thursday morning. He purposefully didn’t include the score of the pickup game in his answer, but one could only imagine how that game went.

Did LeBron James break a backboard?

15 LeBron James Breaks High School Backboard. Here is a crazy video of LeBron James from back in his high school days. He goes up for the dunk and the rim completely detaches from the backboard dropping James to the ground.

Did Magic Johnson shatter a backboard?

In this game against the Nets he not only tears down the rim. But the entire backboard.

Who was the first NBA player to dunk?

Joe Fortenberry

A brief history of the dunk



Kurland may be credited with basketball’s first dunk, but the first one made in an organized basketball game belongs to the NBA’s Joe Fortenberry. While training for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, he dunked the ball into the net like someone “dunking their roll into a cup of coffee.”

Why are some basketball hoops double rimmed?

Double rims are commonly found on playgrounds and other types of outdoor public courts. The reason that double rims are used is that they are stronger and stand up better to outdoor elements. Their strength also protects the rim from being bent due to extreme play and players hanging on the rims.

When did the NBA start using glass backboards?

Wood and Glass



In 1904, wooden backboards became mandatory because of safety reasons; including injuries to the enthusiastic fans suffered from the chicken wire because they were apt to try and slap the ball out of the basket. By 1909, glass backboards were becoming common because of their aesthetic appeal.

Is the NBA rim 12 feet?

Throughout gyms, parks, and driveways around the world, basketball hoops are almost always 10 feet (3 meters) off the ground. Some leagues for young children play on shorter hoops, but from junior high schools through the professional leagues, the game is played on hoops of the standard 10-foot height.

Why do backboards not shatter?

Today, NCAA and NBA backboards come in 1/2-inch thick tempered glass. Tempered glass is made shatter-resistant through a rapid heating and cooling process. This is what gives a backboard its strength and causes it to break into smaller pieces if a player manages to shatter it.

How many basketballs can fit in a rim?

A WNBA ball’s diameter is 9 inches, making two balls 18 inches, or exactly the diameter measurement of a regulation rim. But if you add the circumference of each – 56.5 inches for the hoop and 29 inches for each WNBA ball – you would rule out the chance that two balls would fit in the rim together.

What size ball does NBA use?

Size 7 basketball

During NBA and FIBA play men use a Size 7 basketball, with a circumference of 75 centimetres, while women use a Size 6 ball measuring 72.5cm around.

How big is the NBA rim?

18 inches

The top of the hoop is 10 feet (305 cm) above the ground. Regulation backboards are 6 feet (183 cm) wide by 3.5 feet (107 cm) tall. All basketball rims (hoops) are 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter.

Can you put 3 basketballs through a hoop?

3 basketballs can fit in the rim – Dexton Crutchfield| By Dexton Crutchfield.

How thick is a basketball rim?

The rim itself is made of a 5/8” | 1.6 cm steel diameter steel rod that is formed into a ring with an inner diameter of 18” | 45.72 cm. Basketball nets are hung from the bottom of the rim with lengths between 15”-18” | 38.1-45.7 cm.

What are basketball rims made of?

Typical basketball rims are manufactured using high tensile carbon steel. The basketball hoop or ring (the part the ball goes through) is made from 5/8″ diameter solid steel rod. This rod is formed into a ring that measures 18″ across the inside. This is known as “inside diameter” (I.D.).