Remember when it took a huge Shaq Attaq to bring down a backboard, or at least a Darryl Dawkins “The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam?” Well, Doug Anderson has shattered that concept, literally.
Despite not being a huge man, Anderson of Mott Community College managed to shatter the backboard early in the game on what was a pleasant, but not earth-shattering dunk. According to local reports, it was a first at Ballenger Field House:
FLINT — You’d think Mott head coach Steve Schmidt had seen it all in his 19 years at the helm of the Mott basketball program, but a stunning development on Wednesday night had previously gone unwitnessed by the three-time national champion coach.
Before a packed house at Ballenger Field House as the Bears took on St. Clair, freshman Doug Anderson went up for a dunk…and nearly brought an entire backboard fixture back down with him. The freshman from Kalamazoo cracked the backboard glass after a vicious, follow-up slam, and came within an eyelash of shattering it completely. It was just the latest in a series of jaw-dropping feats of athleticism by Anderson, who almost seemed embarrassed by his freakish display of strength.
As swarms of awed fans gathered on the floor and whipped out cell phones to capture images of the pulverized backboard, game officials and coaches mulled their options during the break in play. After nearly 15 minutes, the decision was made to move the game from Ballenger Field House to the gym at Flint Northern High School. In an incredible display of support, virtually every fan in attendance made the trek through downtown Flint to the new location, as the game resumed at approximately 8:30. Fittingly, Anderson scored the first points of the re-start of the game on another thunderous dunk…but thankfully, this backboard survived the onslaught.
The dunk that shattered the backboard:
Of course, this is not the only time in the past month that a backboard has been shattered. A New Years’ Eve NCAA game between Oklahoma and Gonzaga saw 290lb Tiny Gallon bring it all down, on a non-dunk:
This all brings back memories of the likes of Shaquille O’Neal destroying backboards early in his career, before the NBA brought in nuclear-strength reinforcements on the structure. Here are some flashbacks to great basket destructions of years past.
Listen to how long it takes the commentators to react with something coherent on this one. Jerome Lane breaks the backboard at Fitzgerald Field House on January 25, 1988.
Darvin Ham shatters the backboard for Texas Tech.
Kevin Love for Oregeon against Putnam High School in 2006.
A 360 degree one hander by Richard Nelson of Sacramento’s Encina High School destroys the glass.
LeBron James pulls down a non-collapsible ring in a high school scrimmage.
Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were on the wrong end of Chris Morris‘ glass-shattering dunk at the New Jersey Nets’ Meadowlands in 1993. This coming after Shaquille O’Neal had abused the Meadowlands rims earlier that season (see below).
New Jersey High School Maths teacher, “Mr Hansen” of Hackensack Middle School probably had some stern warnings from the headmaster after bringing down the gym with a dunk apparently designed to promote an upcoming teachers vs students game. Well done Mr Hansen.
Robert “Tractor” Traylor sends it home like a Mack Truck.
Darryl Dawkins, aka “Chocolate Thunder” aka “Dr Dunkenstein” and a billion other nicknames, was the daddy of them all. This 1979 glass shatterer, followed by another the same year, even inspired a young Craig Sager to wear a publicly acceptable suit.
You didn’t think that his Airness, Michael Jordan would let this craze go by without giving it a go, did you? MJ pulled one down in Trieste, Italy, during a Nike promo game. Beautiful.
Back in his NCAA days, Big Country was the man. Bryant Reeves pulled this one off during warmups in the 1995 Final Four.
Of course, we’ve saved the best for last, with the two we all remember best and most fondly. Not content with simply shattering the glass or pulling down the rim, Shaquille O’Neal twice pulled down the entire basket structure during NBA games. Like a nuclear bomb, only bigger. Check these out — and enjoy!
Of course, Shaq’s ability to bring down the house was even celebrated in this iconic Reebok commercial. “This must be a rookie thing or something.”
BONUS: Here’s a compilation of most of the above and more.
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