This week, the Heat lost Dru Smith, victim of a serious knee injury after a poorly controlled reception on… a stats sheet placed on the ground, under the sidelines. It was in Cleveland, and this is not the first time that the floor of the Cavaliers’ room has been the target of criticism because of the gap between the field and the first row of spectators, but also the sidelines.
As the parquet floor is laid on an ice rink, with a large layer of rubber to prevent condensation, it is slightly raised compared to the chairs in the first row and those on the two sidelines. It’s this small step, about twenty centimeters, that poses the problem.
For LeBron James, the NBA must take care of it
“This is an issue that can be addressed with the league to change things”, asked Erik Spoelstra as Dru Smith’s injury ends his season. “But I doubt things will change at the level of the prosecution. There is a risk in our minds and probably in the minds of a lot of other teams as well. This terrain is dangerous.”
Confirmation with the Lakers this night where LeBron James, who knows the room well, shares Erik Spoelstra’s words. “The NBA should look into this and take care of it” asks the best scorer in history.
For Austin Reaves, “ it’s a bit creepy » while Darvin Ham admits that “ it’s complicated coming out of time-out”. “Luckily I have big feet. I don’t stumble into it” specifies the Lakers coach.
Like LeBron James, Darvin Ham asks that the NBA study the situation, even if the pitch has been raised like this in Cleveland for a very long time, and this is the first time that it has caused a major accident.
“It’s something that absolutely needs to be looked at. Every time we find ourselves in a situation where someone is injured or risks being injured, and in this specific case it is the prosecution, I think we have to examine the situation and see if there is no way to improve things. »
