The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted their former superstar LeBron James on Saturday, and his return to his old stomping ground was overshadowed a bit by the Cavs’ arena floor being deemed dangerous by some folks.
James was asked about the court and agreed that it should be addressed by the league.
“Yes, the league should look at it,” he told The Athletic. “They should address it.”
During the Cavs-Miami Heat matchup on Wednesday, Heat guard Dru Smith unfortunately injured his knee after trying to contest a corner 3-pointer by Max Strus. His foot landed beyond the edge of the elevated court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra ripped the floor design, citing how unsafe it is and that it is an “accident waiting to happen.” However, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff has defended it, saying that his players are comfortable playing on the elevated floor.
Cavs 10-inch drop from court to floor causes Dru Smith season-ending ACL injury
Multiple league sources call it out
JB Bickerstaff tho: "Our guys are comfortable playing here…we haven’t had any incidents because of how our floor is built" pic.twitter.com/MMvMdvKqoB https://t.co/C2x01dhcdF
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 26, 2023
Still, Miami has reportedly contacted the NBA league office to express its concern over the floor. Considering that Smith sustained a season-ending injury, it seems possible that the league will respond to it sooner than later.
Fortunately, no similar incident occurred on Saturday as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cavaliers.
The Cavs were also able to honor their hometown hero by presenting him a video tribute highlighting his scoring milestones, starting with a clip of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer draining his first shot in the NBA while playing for Cleveland.
All love for the King in Cleveland 👑
The @cavs pay tribute to LeBron in his return! pic.twitter.com/LkcyPM2ZNf
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 26, 2023
While the Cavs would have wanted to end the evening with a win, Los Angeles secured a six-point victory, thanks in large part to Anthony Davis scoring 23 of his season-high 32 points in the second half. James added 22 points.
Cleveland was led by Donovan Mitchell’s 22 points, although the star guard shot just 4-for-18 from the field. Jarrett Allen had a huge game, putting up 21 points and 14 rebounds, but his performance wasn’t enough to lift his team.
The Cavs fell to 3-5 at home and 8-8 overall. Their next three contests will also be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Perhaps they can pull off some victories and rise in the standings.
