Lakers G Luka Doncic “avoided serious injury after falling off the side of the Cavaliers’ raised court” at Rocket Arena on Wednesday, but the “threat of a player being hurt by Cleveland’s unique 10-inch drop off between the court and the arena floor came into focus again” during the Lakers’ 129-99 loss to the Cavaliers. Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “It is absolutely a safety hazard, and I don’t know why it’s still like that.” Rocket Arena is also home to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, and the basketball court is “raised to accommodate the ice underneath the floor.” But “several teams in the NBA, including the Lakers, share their arena with hockey teams and none have a court that drops off like Cleveland’s” (L.A. TIMES, 1/28).
In 2023, Heat G Dru Smith injured his right knee “when he got stuck between the court and arena floor contesting a 3-point shot.” The Heat “reportedly contacted the NBA with safety concerns after Smith’s Grade 3 ACL sprain” (THE ATHLETIC, 1/28).
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s game also served as a homecoming for Lakers F LeBron James, who received a “touching tribute” from the home team and “cried” in front of the sellout crowd. James has played in Cleveland eight times since leaving in 2018 and “there have been that many tribute videos” — but he has “never reacted like that.” James said afterwards, “I was just more present today than I’ve been over the previous seven” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 1/28).