CLEVELAND (AP) The wife of U.S. PGA champion Jason Day was treated and released from a hospital after LeBron James crashed into her during an NBA game on Thursday.
Ellie Day was taken from Quicken Loans Arena, with her head immobilized, to MetroHealth Medical Center. She was released early Friday, according to hospital spokeswoman Tina Shaerban Arundel.
James was scrambling for a loose ball in the fourth quarter of a 104-100 win by Cleveland over Oklahoma City, when the 250-pound (113-kilogram) All-Star launched himself into the air, plowing into Ellie Day as she sat next to her husband.
James said he spoke with Ellie Day while she was being helped by medical personnel during a stoppage in play.
”I squeezed her hand and she said she was OK,” he said. ”She was just a little weary.”
Before he was given more information on her, James, who scored 33 points and flirted with a triple-double, was noticeably shaken when he left the floor following the Cavaliers’ win.
”Hopefully, she is doing well,” James said. ”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.”
Later, James tweeted: ”Ellie Day I hope you’re doing okay! My apologies! Hope u guys come back to another game soon. Love LJ!”
James said if she had been pregnant, he would have jumped over the first row of seats.
On Nov. 11, Ellie Day gave birth to the couple’s second child, a girl named Lucy.
Jason Day, who lives in a Columbus suburb, accompanied his wife as she was carried from the floor. The couple has attended Cleveland games, and she was pregnant with their second child when they went to an exhibition this year in Columbus. That night, Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith bought cotton candy for the Days’ son, Dash, while he sat on the bench.
Jason Day is the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world. He won the U.S. PGA Championship this year for his first major win on the U.S. PGA Tour.
Before his wife was injured, Jason Day took part in a promotion during a timeout. As fans cheered, the Australian chipped foam basketballs into the crowd.
Cavaliers coach David Blatt has long been nervous about the safety of fans sitting so close to the action.
”Honestly, the only thing I saw was LeBron diving for the ball to save the ball,” Blatt said. ”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. 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.”
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