The Cleveland Cavaliers have a game to play Friday night in Miami. Getting home afterward could be a much bigger problem.
A nationwide ground stop ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration has thrown Cleveland’s travel plans into uncertainty, leaving coach Kenny Atkinson wondering whether his team can return home before Saturday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Speaking before Friday’s NBA Cup matchup against the Miami Heat, Atkinson acknowledged that the Cavaliers were already exploring alternative arrangements.
“I haven’t heard. I think we’re scrambling to find hotel rooms in case, which I can’t imagine, oh man,” Atkinson said, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“If not, we’ll sleep on the bus.”
The Cavaliers FAA ground stop situation comes at an especially inconvenient time, with Cleveland scheduled to play on consecutive nights in different cities.
Kenny Atkinson Reacts to Nationwide FAA Ground Stop
The FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon after a communications problem disrupted air traffic control operations across the United States.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the emergency measure on X.
“The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers,” Duffy wrote.
“FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.”
The disruption halted departures nationwide while aviation officials worked to determine the cause of the outage.
For Cleveland, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
The Cavaliers are scheduled to face Miami on Friday before hosting Dallas on Saturday night, leaving little room for unexpected travel delays.
Under normal circumstances, Cleveland would fly home after the Heat game and begin preparing for the Mavericks.
Instead, Atkinson acknowledged that the organization could be forced to spend another night in Miami.
Despite the uncertainty, the Cavaliers coach expressed confidence in his players’ ability to handle the situation.
“These guys are so adaptable and flexible,” Atkinson told reporters.
“There’s so much stuff that’s going on in the world. I feel like they deal with information really well and all the twists and turns of the season.”
Cavaliers Face Uncertain Return Before Mavericks Game
Atkinson has experienced enough travel disruptions during his NBA coaching career to understand that plans can change quickly.
“Flights are late, get stuck on the runway, just like it does in the normal commercial world of flight, so it’s just part of it,” he said.
“We’ve all been part of it. You just adapt.”
However, this situation presents an additional complication because the Cavaliers have another game scheduled less than 24 hours after their matchup in Miami.
“We obviously have a game tomorrow night, so that’s in the back of my mind,” Atkinson said.
The NBA has not announced any changes to Cleveland’s game against Dallas, and there has been no confirmation that the Cavaliers’ return flight has been canceled.
Still, a prolonged disruption could affect the team’s preparation, recovery time and travel arrangements.
For now, Cleveland must focus on the Heat while hoping the nationwide aviation problem is resolved in time.
And if the Cavaliers cannot make it home Friday night, Atkinson may have to find a more comfortable alternative to sleeping on the team bus.
Cavaliers Reveal Unusual Backup Plan Amid FAA Ground Stop