The Los Angeles Lakers will use the team’s traditional home floor at Crypto.com Arena instead of its alternate yellow court for an NBA Cup group play matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Per McMenamin, techs from the league’s court vendor determined that the NBA Cup floor was “unplayable” for the clash with Dallas and will be sent back to the vendor for repairs.
“That was bad,” Lakers forward Rui Hachimura told reporters. “I felt it right away when I was warming up. It just felt weird. Just like oily, slippery. Everybody was on the floor, falling.”
Los Angeles previously used the court during a 135-118 NBA Cup win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, but superstar Luka Dončić voiced his concerns with the safety of the floor after the game.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick also gave his thoughts on the court following the win over the Clippers.
“Sometimes courts just don’t dry well when there’s condensation on it,” Redick said, via McMenamin.
The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings also play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, hosting the Ottawa Senators on Monday before the ice rink was converted into the NBA Cup floor for the following day.
NBA Cup games have typically featured colorful courts compared to the league’s traditional wood grain floor design since the tournament made its debut during the 2023-24 season.
Despite the issues with the Lakers’ yellow court, their victory against the Clippers gave them a 3-0 record in the 2025 NBA Cup and allowed them to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals by clinching Group B.
If Los Angeles is able to defeat the Mavericks on Friday, the team will host a quarterfinal game on either Dec. 9 or Dec. 10.
It’s currently unknown if the Lakers will return to the NBA Cup court for a potential home quarterfinal matchup or stick with their usual floor.
Tip-off between Los Angeles and Dallas on Friday is at 10 p.m. ET.
