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LeBron James crashes into stands, wife of golfer Jason Day injured

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ixxf9uOh1Y CLEVELAND –They’ve been dubbed the “Nicholson seats,” but spectator safety at NBA matches is...
Lebron photo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ixxf9uOh1Y

CLEVELAND –They’ve been dubbed the “Nicholson seats,” but spectator safety at NBA matches is back on the agenda after the wife of golfer Jason Day needed hospital treatment after a collision with LeBron James.

The close proximity of the seats to the court allows fans the privilege of being in touching distance of the world’s greatest basketball stars, while also providing NBA games with their unique atmosphere. Actor Jack Nicholson is often seen sitting courtside at Los Angeles Lakers games.

But Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt said such seats “concerned” him after Ellie Day — wife of world No. 2 golfer Jason — had to be carried from the court on a stretcher and in a neck brace after a collision with James during the Cavs’ 104-100 victory over Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday.

Here is Blatt’s statement:

Honestly, the only thing I saw was LeBron diving for the ball to save the ball. I kind of got blocked and just saw a sea of bodies. We all hope that she’s OK.

It’s always concerned me, the sideline seats. Always concerned me, because things like that, when you’re talking about players of this speed and physicality and effort level, it’s not a simple thing.

The powers that be are the ones that really need to decide how to deal with that. He made an honest attempt at the basketball, that’s all, obviously. We all hope she’s OK.

 

Thankfully, Ellie is doing okay. She released a statement on Twitter around 3:30 p.m., which you can read here:

Wow!! It’s official. More messages from getting plowed over by Lebron than Jason winning a major. HA.

First of all, I am okay!! I am incredibly sore and exhausted. Being tackled by that large man I would compare to a minor car accident. My head and neck hit pretty hard so it was really scary. My whole body feels like it was hit by a truck.

Second, it was so fast. I didn’t remember until 2am seeing the ball come toward me. It was a blur. To the crazies that think Jason should have protected me– if he had had time to react, so would have I. Also, I would not have liked both dudes landing on me. Lebron is huge and had such momentum he could not have stopped!!

Third, people are saying its a money grab or some crap which is obviously absurd. Much like attending a golf event and getting hit with a ball, sitting court side you risk getting run into. I would never make anything more of it. They’re huge men doing their job. I was stabilized because I smashed my neck and head and obviously it was with great force.

Last, I am truly touched by the insane outpouring of support and those of you covering me in prayer. It could have been so much worse. I am thankful for so many thing. One, that I didn’t have Lucy on my chest in her carrier, and that I wasn’t still pregnant. Also that Dash wasn’t with us. Also that Amy had my babies and got them to me at the hospital so I could feed little Lucy. It was my biggest concern when I came out of it. And that’s the end of my story.

Much love to all of you

With just three minutes 30 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, James fell out of bounds trying to retrieve a loose ball and landed directly on top of Day — who had delivered her second child just last month.

However, James has no concerns about fans sitting courtside.

“I think it’s a great experience for our fans,” James said. “I mean, that doesn’t happen much. It’s unfortunate it happened tonight, but that doesn’t happen much.”

He added, “Our fans are why our game is so great. Sitting courtside, it’s all part of the game. It’s pretty cool. If I was a fan, which I am a fan of the game, but, I would love to sit courtside and watch games.”

A concerned Jason Day, who won his first major at the PGA Championship in August, looked on as his wife received attention from medics.

Metrohealth Medical Center spokeswoman Tina Shaerban Arundel confirmed to CNN that Day had received treatment but was later discharged.

The Cleveland forward is listed as 6-foot-8 and 250 lbs on the official NBA website and he tweeted Day a speedy recovery.

James also revealed he spoke to Day while she was receiving treatment courtside.

“I squeezed her hand and she said she was OK,” he said after the game. “She was just a little weary. For me, obviously, her health is very important and hopefully she is doing well. The guys told me she’s doing great now. For me, just going for a loose ball, tried to keep the possession going, I just hate that that was the end result.”

Last year, an 8-year-old boy died after being hit by a puck at a professional ice hockey game in France, and in 2002 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil died from the same cause at an NHL game in Ohio. The NHL has since installed safety netting above the plexiglass which surrounds its hockey rinks.

In June, baseball fan Tonya Carpenter was hospitalized with “life threatening” injuries after a broken bat struck her at Boston’s Fenway Park, though she recovered. The Red Sox have since raised the netting around the dugouts and home plate.

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