Luka Dončić was almost seriously hurt in LA’s loss in Cleveland.
He took a stepback three and fell because the floor was raised, injuring his ankle. This is an uncommon scenario in the NBA. Typically, the court extends to the point where falling off it would be impossible.
Luka had to be taken out of the game, but luckily, he was able to return. However, he is now listed as questionable
for the Lakers’ upcoming contest against the Wizards due to this ankle injury.
After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated that the raised floor was a hazard.
It seems that the league agrees with Redick. According to an article by Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the NBA and the Cavs are seeking solutions to prevent other players from being injured like this.
“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 night.
This isn’t the first time this season Luka has dealt with a floor causing him problems. Dončić complained about the NBA Cup court being slippery and the Lakers sent it for repairs. LA never played on that floor again.
It’s unfortunate that it took Luka almost getting seriously injured to resolve this issue, but if it means no other player has to deal with this, then something good came out of this.
Further in Vardon’s piece, he provided some more details on the talks the Cavs have had with the NBA regarding their court.
The discussions Thursday between the league and the Cavs were taken up mutually, a league spokesperson said. Earlier Thursday, a Cavs spokesman told The Athletic, “The basketball court layout and design at Rocket Arena is fully compliant with NBA rules and has been in place for [20-plus] years, with ongoing collaboration and regular evaluation between our organization, the league and independent flooring experts to support player safety and performance. We constantly evaluate every aspect of the arena to ensure the highest standards of fan experience are achieved and (the) safest environment for players, team members, performers and guests is maintained.”
While the court may follow the rules, that doesn’t mean it’s safe enough. Clearly, it’s very easy for a player to fall off as Luka did. When you watch the play, it’s not like he was pushed or made a ridiculous move that is uncommon in a basketball game.
These guys are playing a sport and injury risk is always possible. But a court shouldn’t be a reason for increased danger. This needs to get fixed, and it appears that’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
