Lakers Scrap NBA Cup Court After Slippery Surface Sparks Safety Fears
So, here’s what’s been unfolding around the NBA Cup and the Los Angeles Lakers — and it’s been quite the storyline over the past couple of days. The Lakers have decided not to use their special NBA Cup court for their upcoming matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, and the reason is pretty alarming: the court was deemed too slippery to safely play on.
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This all started after Tuesday night’s big 135–118 win over the LA Clippers. Luka Dončić, who dropped a monster performance with 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds, made it clear that something felt off — and it wasn’t just the Clippers’ defense. He said the decorative NBA Cup floor the Lakers introduced that night was causing players to lose their footing repeatedly. According to him, he slipped multiple times, and he pointed out that other players were sliding around too. In his words, the whole thing was “dangerous.”
And Luka didn’t just mention it once — he brought it up several times in his postgame comments, which definitely signaled how serious the issue felt for him. By Friday morning, his concerns had already been validated. Technicians from the league’s court vendor examined the floor and determined it was unplayable. So, the Lakers made the call to go back to their standard home court for the Mavericks game.
Interestingly, Luka wasn’t the only one who felt the surface was sketchy. Rui Hachimura echoed the same concerns during shootaround on Friday. He said that the moment he stepped onto the court during warmups earlier in the week, it felt “oily” and just wrong. According to him, players were literally hitting the hardwood every few seconds because of how slippery it was. That’s definitely not the look you want for a high-stakes in-season tournament game.
Now, even though the court has been pulled for now, there’s some good news for later: repairs are already underway, and the floor is expected to be ready in about two weeks. That timing actually works out, because if the Lakers keep pushing through the bracket — and they’ve already clinched their group — they could end up hosting a knockout-round game at Crypto.com Arena.
As for roster updates, DeAndre Ayton is returning from a knee contusion and is available for the Mavericks game, while Marcus Smart is still doubtful with back spasms.
So, while the Lakers keep rolling in the NBA Cup, their court will have to sit this one out — and honestly, it sounds like everyone’s ankles will be thankful for it.
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