by InTrieste
Forty years after Michael Jordan stunned a Trieste crowd by shattering a backboard during a Nike exhibition game, the city is set to mark the anniversary with a public event on Tuesday at the Palasport in Chiarbola, the same arena where the moment unfolded in 1985.
The initiative, titled Through the Glass, will be presented at 11 a.m. with a ceremony that includes the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Local officials, including Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, will join sports and cultural representatives to honor one of the most memorable episodes in international basketball lore.
On August 26, 1985, a 22-year-old Jordan, wearing the black-and-orange uniform of Stefanel Pallacanestro Trieste, delivered a dunk that shattered the glass backboard before a packed house. The spectacular scene became known as the “Shattered Backboard Game,” a moniker that has since grown into a touchstone of basketball history.
The anniversary project is spearheaded by Trieste native Erik Filipac and his Shattered Backboard initiative, with support from the Municipality of Trieste and the cultural association Che Spettacolo, led by Massimo Piubello. Piubello was involved in producing the original Jordan jersey worn that night — a piece that resurfaced last year at auction.
“Through the Glass” is planned as a yearlong series of events across Friuli Venezia Giulia, supported by the Regional Council, aimed at extending the legacy of Jordan’s visit and its impact on Italian basketball culture.
The unveiling of the plaque in Chiarbola will serve as the first step in a program that organizers promise will echo the excitement of 1985. The ceremony will be open to the public and presented by journalist Pietro Colnago.
For Trieste, it is not only a look back at a single dazzling moment, but also an acknowledgment of the city’s place in basketball history — a night when a rising NBA star left an indelible mark on European sport.
