Lakers' Redick Calls Rocket Arena Dangerous After Doncic Fall

Lakers coach JJ Redick warned that Cleveland’s raised court at Rocket Arena is “absolutely a safety hazard” after Luka Dončić fell off the edge and briefly left Wednesday’s 129-99 loss. The court sits about 10 inches above the floor because an ice rink lives beneath it. Dončić returned and still scored 29 points, but the incident echoes past dangers, including the season-ending knee injury to Dru Smith in 2023 that had Miami’s Erik Spoelstra calling the setup “a hazard.” Merlin sees a repeating pattern: when the floor bites, coaches speak up and players pay the price until something breaks. The league has been slow to intervene, so change will likely need more than near misses. Expect louder complaints and targeted fixes only if a star is seriously hurt.