Michael Jordan is the GOAT of basketball, and he thrilled fans in America with his performances for years. He meant everything to the NBA, so it’s no surprise that he is significantly revered in the States. But his influence stretched far beyond the borders of the nation, he is the man credited most often with making basketball a truly global game.
The Dream Team played a big part in exciting the world’s interest in the sport, but even before that, the NBA’s best would often display their skills in Europe. And in 1985, MJ played in an exhibition game in Trieste, Italy, during which he dropped over 40 points and managed to shatter the backboard with an incredibly vicious dunk.
This was when Michael Jordan was still coming into his own as the greatest player in the world. He was young, and he had just signed with Nike. He wore Air Jordans in this game, and those shoes reportedly ended up being sold for a whopping $615,000. And it must have been quite something to see Jordan do what he did during that time, something a few people have recounted.
Howard White Of Jordan Brand Recounted What It Was Like To See Michael Jordan Shatter The Backboard
Michael Jordan was special from the day he entered the league, and Nike had come to realize that. A VP of Jordan Brand, Howard White, was present for this incredible game from Jordan back in the day, and he recounted what it was like to watch the play happen (via SBNation).
“Glass was everywhere. The backboard exploded. I’m looking at his eyes, his ears …looking for little bits of glass,” remembers Howard White, VP of Jordan Brand. “In the moment, it was wild. It was a little scary, because we didn’t know where the glass was going. They were playing and then there was that moment. I don’t know of any moment where one can detect something otherworldly has happened, but that one has become something grand. For MJ, though, it was just a moment in the game.”
Michael Jordan is perhaps the game’s biggest name throughout its history, there are people in the far corners of the world who have heard his name. And it was performances like this back when people weren’t prioritizing making basketball a global game that contributed to making the GOAT who he became.
