Some of my first memories of Michigan basketball came in 1998 when Robert "Tractor" Traylor helped the Wolverines capture the first ever Big Ten tournament title. Michigan was a No. 3 seed in the 1998 NCAA tournament as a result, and although they were knocked out by UCLA in the second round, it was a memorable run.
↵One season earlier, Traylor made a memorable run down the court of Crisler Arena during a game against Ball State. He slammed the basketball for a dunk and brought the rim down with him. The backboard shattered into pieces and glass rained down on Traylor, who proceeded to run back up court as if nothing happened.
↵↵Back long before the days of YouTube, I remember having one video downloaded on my family's first computer, and it was the one you just watched. While I didn't see the play live (I was only six years old, after all), this has always been the play I associate with Traylor, who was found dead Wednesday at the age of 34. My first actual memories of watching Michigan basketball were in 1998, but I will always remember Traylor for shattering the glass at Crisler Arena.