“Michael Jordan shattered the backboard on a dunk in Italy”: How the Bulls legend emulated Shaquille O’Neal and broke an entire backboard during an exhibition game in 1986

Michael Jordan showed no remorse on a dunk during an exhibition game in Italy as he shattered the backboard in the process. 

Michael Jordan is undoubtedly one of the greatest dunkers to have ever step foot on NBA hardwood, with this fact being legitimized by him winning perhaps the greatest Slam Dunk contest of all time. He wasn’t just a performance dunker however as his in-game posters weren’t to be trifled with on any given night. 

There are much too many iconic dunks from Michael Jordan to choose from but what comes to mind would have to be him conquering ‘Mount Mutumbo’ and giving him the finger wag. His poster on Alonzo Mourning is also one that gets pushed underneath the rug far too many times.

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One thing however, that Michael Jordan never did in an NBA game, was shatter a backboard. Granted, this is now measly task by any means as it takes an inordinate amount of power to pull this off. 

Shaquille O’Neal and Darryl Dawkins popularized this feat as they were known to have shattered a substantial amount of backboard. 

Michael Jordan takes it to the rim with authority in Italy. 

Michael Jordan has travelled the world over his near two-decade long NBA career and played a plethora of exhibition games. 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. The game, of course, had to be stopped due to this but this moment is highly regarded as one that led to a monumental increase in Jordan’s popularity.

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It should be noted that the 1984-85 NBA season saw a rookie Michael Jordan take the NBA over by storm, winning Rookie of the Year honor by averaging over 28 points a game. 

Couple that with this backboard-shattering dunk and Jordan was on hiw way into becoming a global superstar in no time.