LeBron James calls for NBA to address safety concerns with Cavaliers’ court
Apr 4, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts to being called for a foul against the Utah Jazz in the last minute of the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James would like to see some changes to his former home arena.
James returned to Cleveland for a game Saturday between the Lakers and the Cavaliers. The Lakers ended up winning by a final score of 121-115.
After the game, James was asked about the raised court at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, which has come under scrutiny amidst a recent in-game safety incident. Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a season-ending ACL injury when he slipped on a defensive play and his foot plummeted awkwardly to the lower portion of flooring below the raised court (video here).
James responded by calling on the NBA to address the issue.
“Yes, the league should look at it,” he said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “They should address it.”
James added that Smith’s injury was “unfortunate.”
Vardon notes that the Cavaliers’ arena has been designed that way ever since it opened in 1994 and has never had an incident like the Smith injury before. However, it is the only arena in the NBA with that roughly ten-inch drop from the court to the lower flooring. Earlier this weekend, the arena was even the subject of a since-debunked conspiracy theory.
The Heat have since reportedly contacted the NBA league office to express their concerns about the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse floor. Meanwhile, James, who played 11 total seasons with the Cavaliers on that very floor, wants to the NBA make a change as well.
