Cavaliers and NBA Discuss Changing Court Design Following Doncic Injury

Sometimes it takes a superstar getting injured to get the league's attention. When Lakers star Luka Dončić backpedaled after a three-pointer, Wednesday night, and stepped off Cleveland's elevated court, injuring his ankle in the process, it felt like déjà vu for anyone paying attention. The NBA and Cavaliers are now revisiting the situation after improvements made over the years apparently haven't been enough.

Cleveland is the only NBA team playing on a raised court. The surface sits about 10 inches higher than the rest of the arena floor, perched on rubber mats and wood blocks to prevent condensation from the ice rink below, where the AHL's Cleveland Monsters play. 

But unique doesn't mean safe. Lakers coach JJ Redick called it "absolutely a safety hazard" after Dončić hobbled to the locker room during the first quarter, and he fortunately returned to finish out the game. This isn't the first incident, as Miami Heat guard Dru Smith tore his ACL in 2023 after slipping off that same edge. The Heat complained, but nothing much came from it. Clearly, Smith doesn’t have the same pull or value to the league that Dončić does.

What makes this situation baffling to fans and frustrating to opposing teams is that ten NBA franchises share arenas with hockey clubs without needing a ten-inch platform. The Lakers, Knicks, Raptors, and Nuggets are among the teams that manage to transition between the hardwood and the ice. 

Dončić, who considered himself lucky after watching the replay of the injury, has already had an issue with an NBA court this season when he and others noted that the specialized NBA Cup courts were extremely slippery. While a Cavaliers spokesperson is adamant that the court complies with NBA standards, when the league's scoring leader nearly goes down because of an avoidable hazard, it's a sign that things have to change. Although the injury wasn't the reason for the Lakers' 30-point loss, the fact that it could have had a significant impact on one of the league's marquee players is reason enough for a change.