After getting the best of the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA Cup on Nov. 25 at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić made some unexpected comments about the floor used for the tournament.
Dončić was not happy with how slippery the floor was against the Clippers, and apparently, he wasn’t alone, as other players complained about the NBA Cup floor during the showdown between these crosstown rivals.
“It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous,” Doncic said, via ESPN. “I slipped. I slipped a lot of times, and you could see a lot of players slipped. And that’s dangerous, man.”
NBA, Lakers Grant Dončić’s Request for NBA Cup Floor Change
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers will have their NBA Cup floor fixed before they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 10 to get the quarterfinals of the tournament underway in Los Angeles.
“The Lakers expect to have their NBA Cup floor repaired in time for the Dec. 10 quarterfinal game they’re hosting against San Antonio,” STEIN WROTE.
“The floor was removed for Friday’s game against Dallas and sent in for repairs after numerous players, most notably Luka Dončić, complained about how slippery it was Tuesday against the LA Clippers.”
Even though the floor may have been slippery when these tournament games were played at Crypto.com Arena, it didn’t impact winning for the Lakers, as they are sporting an undefeated record heading into the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup at 4-0.
The NBA issued the following statement regarding the situation, as reported by ESPN.
“Player safety is our top priority,” a league spokesperson told ESPN. “In consultation with the Lakers, we identified areas of their NBA Cup court that required additional refinishing, so the team will use its standard home court for tonight’s game. The NBA Cup court is being reconditioned and will be ready for use in the quarterfinals should they host.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the league and the Lakers can make the needed fixes before the matchup with the Spurs, but there will be no shortage of time, with more than a week to go before tipoff.
Along with the anticipated changes made to the basketball floor at Crypto.com Arena, Dončić and company will be monitoring the status of Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who is currently nursing a calf injury.
He’s expected to make his return around the time these two Western Conference heavyweights go head-to-head, but it remains uncertain whether the new face of the San Antonio franchise will be cleared before this matchup in Los Angeles.
The winner of this game on Dec. 10 will advance to the semifinals of the NBA Cup, which will be played in Las Vegas, Nevada. If the Lakers advance, they will attempt to win the tournament for the second time in three years.