Cleveland Cavaliers ban Hoverboards from Locker Room and Quicken Loans Arena

The Cleveland Cavaliers are taking things seriously this year in their pursuit of an NBA championship. That means no distractions, no unnecessary actions, and apparently, no more hover boards. At least, not in their locker room inside Quicken Loans Arena.

It all started one day in mid-October—it was almost surely a dark, dreary day, with light snow in the forecast (after all, it is Cleveland we're talking about)—when LeBron James questioned the culture of the team. The questions were addressed in a team meeting, and led to several internal changes when it came to professionalism and promptness.

Those hoverboards that you see people riding around—maybe not just people, but guys like professional athletes (and Justin Bieber)—were the first to go, according to cleveland.com. JR Smith, Cleveland's sharp-shooting guard with an unwavering confidence, and an advocate for a good hoverboard and/or Segway, surely shed a tear.

Aside from hoverboard doom and gloom, the meeting also inspired members of the team to up their pregame and postgame wardrobe.

"I think it starts with how you dress off the court," says Tristan Thompson, via cleveland.com. "This is a billion-dollar business. When the front-office people come to the games, they come in suits, or slacks, or dress shirt or nice-cut jeans. I think it's the same way with us. Just because we're the guys that put the jerseys on, doesn't mean we can't clean up nice. At the end of the day, you're a professional and you have to represent yourself.

"It's sad to say, but some judge a book by its cover," Thompson continued. "So if you think about a prototypical athlete, you think about a guy that's a jock. You think he doesn't know much. He's somebody who has God-given talent but doesn't really know anything else. But we're trying to change that whole culture, especially myself. I take that real personal."

The Cavaliers have also opted to forgo the starting lineup announcement. Instead of running down the human tunnel to an array of pre-ordained high fives and handshakes, the team huddles together around Coach Blatt to go over the game plan.

"It's just about being focused and preparing for the game," James told cleveland.com. "It's something we did in Miami at certain points. It's about playing the game the right way and your approach. Staying locked in and being ready to go."

It's clear: Cleveland means business. Their focus is second to none, and they have the wardrobe to match. Unfortunately, at least for JR's sake, that now means hoverboards are a thing of the past.