The Los Angeles Lakers and their fans had the scare of their lives after Luka Doncic went hobbling to the locker room in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers following an apparent injury.
As it turns out, the Slovenian superstar tripped his left ankle on the way down from a shot after awkwardly landing on the edge of the slightly raised court at Rocket Arena.
Fortunately, the 26-year-old superstar was able to return to the floor, but the Lakers still fell short against the Cavs in a 129-99 blowout.
Regardless, fans did not like the court’s design, which many believe is a huge flaw that could actually harm players. Fans went online to slam Rocket Arena’s “poor design,” sparking debates over whether the NBA should take action. Even coach JJ Redick called it a “safety hazard.”
The floor is elevated by at least 10 inches during NBA games because there is an ice rink right underneath, meant for the Cleveland Monsters (AHL).
Good thing for Doncic that nothing serious happened, as another player, Dru Smith of the Miami Heat, was not as fortunate two years ago.
Luka’s Injury Scare Is One Too Many Caused by Cavs’ Court Design
Doncic was not the first victim of Rocket Arena’s raised court.
Back in November 2023, Miami’s Smith slipped off the edge of the same elevated court. As a result, he sprained his ACL, leading to a premature end to his 2023–24 NBA campaign as a sophomore.
The injury was so devastating that it practically halted his development for two seasons. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra even called on the NBA to look into the court’s design.
Needless to say, Smith’s injury and Doncic’s injury scare likely would not have happened if Rocket Arena’s court were like every other court in the NBA—level to the ground on all sides.
The question is, what is keeping the Cavs from acting on this safety hazard? Are they waiting for a franchise player like Doncic—or, heaven forbid, their own cornerstone in Donovan Mitchell—to be seriously injured because of their raised court?
