Backboard-Shattering Dunk Exciting, Highly Inconvenient

Two teams in Michigan were forced to move their regional final to another school, mid-game, after one player destroyed a backboard with a life-altering dunk. Thus making it both the most exciting and most tedious basketball game ever.

The vanilla thunder came courtesy of Grand Haven senior Nate VanArendonk—yes, really!—who threw down the giant scheduling snafu with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter against Rockford. With no replacement hoop handy and no one wanting to go home with matters unresolved, everyone packed into their buses and cars one more time and drove five miles to a neighboring high school to resume the contest there. After all, when a game produces 35 total points in three quarters of action you just can't wait another day to see how it unfolds.

VanArendonk's three-point play—which took 80 minutes to complete—made the score 21-15 nearly midway through the second half. Grand Haven eventually won 39-36, which is not a lot of points for a game you have to drive to twice. The lack of firepower is even more galling when you know that one of the teams has a guy who can break backboards! I mean, if you're only going to score 39 points I expect at least two or three shattered pieces of furniture before I've gotten my money's worth.

One backboard-shattering dunk, two sites add up to regional title for Grand Haven boys [Grand Rapids Press] Nate VanArenDonk's VanArenDunk Moves Game [Video via Brooks]