The NBA and Cleveland Cavaliers will examine the team’s elevated court design following an injury to Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
“While improvements have been made to the arena floor over the years to address this issue, the NBA and the Cavaliers are revisiting the situation given the incident last night,” a league spokesperson said Thursday, per Vardon.
Dončić briefly exited the Lakers’ 129-99 loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday with an apparent leg injury after falling off the raised floor following a three-point attempt.
While the five-time All-Star was able to return before the end of the first quarter and finish out the game, he’s listed as questionable for Los Angeles’ matchup with the Washington Wizards on Friday due to ankle soreness.
“It wasn’t a great feeling, and, looking back at the video, I think I got a little bit lucky,” Dončić said after Wednesday’s loss, per Vardon.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick also brought up concerns regarding Cleveland’s court.
“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Redick said Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The Cavaliers are the only NBA team that plays on a raised court, which is approximately 10 inches higher than the rest of the floor at Rocket Arena.
The elevation is due to the fact that Cleveland’s court sits above an ice rink. The Cavaliers share Rocket Arena with the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.
The height difference between the court and the rest of the floor previously resulted in an injury in Nov. 2023, as Miami Heat guard Dru Smith fell off the court and suffered a season-ending knee sprain.
With Dončić nearly experiencing a serious injury of his own, changes could be coming to Rocket Arena.
