LeBron James’ return to face the Cleveland Cavaliers was the biggest story to come out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 129-99 loss Wednesday, but it was nearly overshadowed by a controversial injury. Lakers superstar Luka Dončić was briefly removed from the contest after falling off the Cavaliers’ raised court.
The moment occurred early in the contest. After shooting a three just minutes into the game, Dončić backed up on one foot, watching to see if his shot was good. He wound up going too far, falling off the Cavaliers’ raised court and injuring his leg.
Dončić was removed from the contest and went to the Lakers’ locker room. After being checked out by team trainers, Dončić was able to return at the end of the first quarter and play the rest of the game. Dončić finished with 29 points in just under 30 minutes of play.
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While the Lakers’ star avoided a major injury, the Cavaliers’ raised court drew a major focus from the Lakers after the game. Coach JJ Redick called it a “safety hazard,” one that he didn’t expect to change even if the team filed a formal complaint to the league, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“It is absolutely a safety hazard,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter. “And I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t. You know, you can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
The Cavaliers are the only team in the NBA that plays on an elevated court. There’s roughly a 10-inch separation from the court to the arena floor. While that drop is supposed to be far enough out of play that it won’t affect players, that clearly wasn’t the case during Wednesday’s game.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent echoed Redick’s concern, saying he hoped “something can get fixed” with the court.
“It’s tough to see another player get hurt on this court, with the fall, with the drop off,” Lakers guard Gabe Vincent said Monday, “so hopefully something can get fixed with that, but we’re fortunate that [Doncic] is OK.”
As for Dončić, he put the incident on himself, saying “It’s the only court like this so, I guess it’s my fault.” He added that he needs to stop jumping like that after shots.
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When asked whether he would contact the league about the court, though, Dončić said “don’t involve me in that.” Redick took a similar track, saying the issue was above his pay grade.
Dončić is not the only player to sustain an injury due to the Cavaliers’ raised court. In 2023, Miami Heat guard Dru Smith sustained an ACL sprain after trying to contest a shot. Smith jumped near the Cavaliers’ bench, and his momentum took him all the way to the edge of the court. Smith’s right leg landed on the court’s edge and then dropped all the way down to the arena floor. He was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.
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The Heat reportedly raised the issue with the league following Smith’s injury, according to The Athletic.
That incident wasn’t enough to force the Cavaliers into making a change. While Dončić appears to have avoided a major injury, his scare could reignite the issue in the league office. The last thing the NBA wants is a premier player going down with a significant injury thanks to an uncommon court hazard.
