I was watching a dunk-video compilation on youtube and of course Shaq’s infamous backboard-shattering dunk was included. Now, if that occurs in the middle of the game, what do they do? I don’t see how they could have the time to clean up the huge mess and replace the backboard and then continuing the game, but the again I don’t know. That’s why I’m here.
They clean it up and continue the game. They have spares available for just this kind of situation.
It’s happened before. IIRC, they have a couple extra backboard setups. Those guys can put a new one up pretty quick, as they have to move them around all the time, especially in multi-use venues. Cleanup wouldn’t take too long, either, they’d just have to sweet up the Plexiglass (I think that’s what they use). Also, the backboards have been redesigned to be more robust, since Shaq broke more than one backboard, and brought down at least one entire setup.
From my recollection of watching two or three of the incidents where Shaq broke a backboard, it took about 20-25 or so minutes to clean up, install the backup backboard, and resume the game. This was more than enough time for the crowd to get over the excitement of seeing a board broken and to start sitting around bored and wondering when the game will start again. It was also plenty of time for the basketball players to cool down, and for any gain in momentum to be lost. I suspect this had more to do with the reason that Shaq stopped breaking backboards, than for any fines or replacement fees he may have been faced with.
Darryl Dawkins made a career of breaking backboards.
At that time the rims didn’t have the spring loaded breakaway gizmo to prevent the rim from being torn away from the glass. Of course, when Dawkins started breaking things everybody had to try to prove their manhood by trying the same thing. I suppose that makes Shaq’s destruction all the more impressive.
I believe they use tempered glass, not Plexiglass in basketball backboards. When one shatters, it comes out in large pieces without jagged edges similar to when a car’s window breaks.
I know this has happened in the NCAA tournament. IIRC it was Texas Tech versus UNC in 1996.
It took 20-30 minutes to clean up and replace. Very annoying, but I guess it’s nothing compared to weather delays in baseball.
I was at the game when he broke the backboard in New Jersey, when he played for Orlando. I didn’t time how long it took to clean the floor and replace the backboard, but I’d estimate about 45 minutes.
Some of that time was probably taken up by the hardest part of this task:
Finding the guy with the key to the room that has the extra backboard.