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Who was the last person to shatter a backboard?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 13, 2026

Dunkenstein”, and last but not least a moniker given to him by soul music legend, Ray Charles, who christened Dawkins “Chocolate Thunder.” On November 13th, 1979 during a game against the Kansas City Kings , Dawkins shattered the backboard.

Who shattered the 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.

How many times did Shaq shatter the backboard?

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.

Is Shaq the only person to break the backboard?

Shaq, as far as I know, is the only person to ever completely snap the backboard off at the neck and bring it to the ground. The only thing that his dunk is missing is a nickname comparable to that of Dawkins' dunk. Now up for debate is whether Shaq had a better dunk than Dawkins.

Who shattered the first backboard?

In honor of the Celtics' 75th anniversary, a look back at the most memorable moments in team history. In 1946, center Chuck Connors broke the backboard in the team's first ever home game, causing an hour-long delay.

33 related questions found

When was dunking not allowed in basketball?

The first incarnation of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was held during the half-time of the 1976 American Basketball Association All-Star Game. Dunking was banned in the NCAA and high school sports from 1967 to 1976.

Did Michael Jordan break 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.

How many 3s has Shaq made?

Shaquille O'neal has made one three pointer in his career. In the 1995–96 season he took a turnaround 3 pointer at the buzzer and it went in.

Why did Shaq pull the rim down?

It seems like Shaq had a couple of reasons for trying to take the rim down, most notably to catch the attention and love from the NBA world.

What size shoe does Shaq wear?

Shaquille O'Neal's shoe size is massive

The 15-time All-Star wears a size 22. But while he didn't have to worry about finding sneakers that fit him throughout his NBA career, O'Neal did as a kid.

Who all has broken a backboard in the NBA?

Darryl Dawkins Shattered Backboards So Much He Changed the NBA Forever. If you're a backboard, there are three guys you should avoid at all costs: Jerome Lane, Shaquille O'Neal and Darryl Dawkins. Lane destroyed one at Pittsburgh.

What are NBA backboards made of?

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.

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.

Who is the first NBA player to dunk?

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.”

When was the first backboard broken?

To be more precise, it happened on November 5, 1946. The Boston Celtics were warming up for the season opener in the Boston Arena when Chuck Connor pulled a Steph Curry - he heaved a 40 footer and broke the backboard.

Did they finish the game when Shaq broke the backboard?

While the game resumed after, people were still thinking about how someone could have the power to bring down an entire rim and break the backboard. The Magic would win the game, and O'Neal would only finish with 10 points, five rebounds, and five blocks, but he had the play of the not hands down.

How many free throws did Shaq make?

Shaquille O'Neal attempted 11,252 free throws in his career.

Not what you're looking for?

Did Shaq ever score a 3?

Shaq attempted a total of 22 three-pointers in his 19 years-long professional basketball career, but only scored one. In the 1995-96 season, Shaq scored his first and only three-pointer against the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a turnaround jumper and a buzzer-beater.

How long was Shaq in the NBA?

He is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion.

Did Michael Jordan break a hoop?

But here's Michael Jordan, standing at 6'6 and 216 pounds, in a 1985 exhibition game in Trieste, Italy. He glides through the key, ball over his head, prepared to make himself famous. Jordan puts the ball through the hoop, his fingers tug on the rim, and suddenly, the backboard disintegrates.

Does Michael Jordan have a tequila?

Cincoro Tequila by five basketball rivals turned friends including Michael Jordan is made using agaves sourced from private farms in both the Highlands and Lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico. The different soil qualities of these regions create unique flavor profiles in the agave grown there.

Did Jordan wear dunks?

From the MVP award to the Dunk Contest trophy, Jordan won it all in the NBA. Lacing up the Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” in the 1988 Dunk Contest, Jordan lived up to the moniker “His Airness” by jumping from the free throw line and slamming home an elegant dunk – twice.

How many dunks does Steph Curry have?

Looking at Stephen Curry's dunk statistics

He has a total of 26 dunks in his 13-year career and the last time he did so was in the 2018-19 season.