The Cavaliers rode a hot second half to demolish the Lakers, 129-99, to ruin an otherwise emotional and celebratory night for Cleveland native LeBron James.
Los Angeles fans suffered quite the scare in the first half, though, when Luka Dončić tweaked his ankle on the Cavs’ raised court. It’s not a new aspect of Cleveland’s Rocket Arena and the superstar was able to return a few minutes after limping off, but it reminded everyone of the odd court design and sparked criticism; Lakers coach JJ Redick, for one, labeled it a “safety hazard” while speaking to media afterwards.
Dončić himself was rather soft-spoken about the situation in his own media availability and even went so far as to say it was his fault. But a new video that emerged on Thursday showed he was very unhappy about it in the moment.
In a video from the “Post Daws” TikTok account that was posted to X by Bleacher Report, Dončić is heard yelling, “Who the f--- made this court, god-----!”
Luka was unhappy after hurting his ankle on the sideline in Cleveland 😳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 29, 2026
(Via @PostDaws) pic.twitter.com/u5RQtTgOXW
The Lakers undoubtedly feel fortunate Dončić’s injury wasn’t serious but his words probably echoed in the minds of L.A. fans everywhere when they saw the play. While there isn’t a specific answer to the who part of Dončić’s explanation, the why is public info; the Cavs share an arena with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters so the court is raised to accommodate the layer of hockey ice underneath.
Here’s what Dončić and his coach said about it after the game.
“It’s the only court that’s like this,” the Slovenian superstar said to reporters. “So I guess it’s my fault. So I’ll stop jumping like that.”
“There’s been a number of injuries over the years in this building because of the floor,” Redick said when asked about the Dončić injury. Answering a follow-up about why the floor is still designed this way despite those injuries, Redick replied bluntly.
“That’s way above my pay grade. It is absolutely a safety hazard," Redick continued. "I don’t know why it’s still like that. I don’t. You can lodge formal complaints. A lot of times you don’t see any change when you lodge a formal complaint.”
We’ll see if the Lakers take their only path of recourse in the form of a complaint. Otherwise they have to lick their wounds and prepare for the next game of their road trip, a battle with the Wizards slated for Friday night.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Video Shows Luka Dončić Angrily Cursing About Cavs’ Floor After Hurting Ankle.
