Cavs Make Safety-First Move After Dončić Injury Scare on Raised Court
CLEVELAND - After years of concerns and one very visible incident, the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally made a change to their unique home court setup at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The team has installed temporary extensions along the sidelines and baselines of their raised floor - a move aimed at preventing players from falling off the platform and risking injury. The change comes on the heels of a scary moment involving Lakers star Luka Dončić, who stepped back for a sideline three and fell off the edge of the court, landing in the front row and injuring his ankle.
For those unfamiliar, the Cavs play on a court that sits roughly 10 inches above the arena’s rubber mat flooring, which itself covers the underlying hockey rink. The raised design has been a longstanding feature in Cleveland - and a point of contention around the league.
On Wednesday night, during Cleveland’s home win over Washington, the difference was clear. The drop-off that once lined the court’s perimeter had been filled in with platform extenders, flush with the playing surface.
A Cavaliers team spokesperson confirmed the additions were made in collaboration with the NBA, the players’ union, and independent flooring experts. A more permanent solution is expected before the start of next season.
This isn’t a new issue. The Lakers, the Miami Heat, and the National Basketball Players Association have all voiced concerns to the league over the past three seasons. The most serious incident prior to Dončić’s fall came in 2023, when Dru Smith landed awkwardly in the gap and severely sprained his right ACL, ending his season.
To be fair, Smith’s injury is the only major one linked to the raised floor in more than 1,300 regular-season games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse over the past 30-plus years. But in a league that’s increasingly focused on player health and safety, one serious injury - let alone two - is enough to prompt action.
The Cavs’ raised floor has always been a bit of an outlier in the NBA, more common in college arenas or March Madness setups. But in a league filled with elite athletes operating at full speed, even a 10-inch drop can become a hazard when a player’s momentum carries them beyond the boundaries of the hardwood.
The temporary fix is just that - temporary. But it’s a step in the right direction, and one that shows the Cavs and the league are listening. With a permanent solution on the horizon, the hope is that what happened to Dončić - and to Smith before him - won’t happen again.