The NBA’s new in-season tournament (IST) has proven more popular with players than many expected, with the level of play clearly higher than it usually would be in the month of November. But when it comes to how the new, heavily painted courts for the IST are being received, it’s safe to say they are a dud for more than aesthetic reasons.
On top of the frequent complaints about the visual impact of the courts and the rushed mistakes they brought with them, there are now concerns about their safety after star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown slipped and hurt his groin in Boston’s IST win vs. the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Speaking postgame, the Players Union vice president spoke up on the courts and their potential risk.
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“I slipped. That’s it — I slipped,” he explained via the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “I think I might have strained my groin a little bit.”
“We’ll see how it feels, but the court was just slippery all game. I think as players, we’re all here for the in-season tournament because it’s going to generate revenue, excitement, competition, but we’ve got to make sure the floor is safe to play on. We can’t put our players out there and risk their health. Tonight I thought the floor was unacceptable.”
“I think guys were slipping all over the place, not just me,” he added.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 18, 2023
With a floor already taken out of commission to address a wrongly placed 3-point line for a Dallas Mavericks IST game (oddly discovered by former Boston forward Grant Williams), it seems that as well as the tourney has been received thus far, the courts remain an issue in need of attention.
Whether it requires a cross-league intervention, something more surgical, or if there are minor fixes that can address the safety concerns Brown highlighted remains to be seen.
But further close calls or worse — a serious injury caused by the courts — could spoil what is otherwise a promising start for this new wrinkle in the league’s calendar.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 18, 2023
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