Kyrie Irving received some devastating news after he suffered a knee injury on Monday night, but the Dallas Mavericks star says he is already on the road to recovery.
Irving exited the Mavericks' 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter after he hurt his leg while driving to the lane. Tests later revealed that the 32-year-old suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
After the bad news surfaced on Tuesday, Irving took to social media to address the injury. He admitted he is in pain but said he is maintaining a positive outlook.
"It hurts. It hasn't been 48 hours since I tore my ACL, but the recovery process already started — mentally, spiritually, emotionally. I just wanted to let you guys know I'm OK and I will be OK moving forward," Irving said. "It does suck a lot, I ain't gonna lie to you guys. This one stings for sure, but I have a great supporting system around me. I have incredible family members and friends and I know I'm supported, not just here in America but internationally."
Irving also mentioned how difficult the 2024-25 season has been for the Mavericks in general. He alluded to the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last month.
"I gave it all this season and was giving it all starting in the summertime after we lost in the Finals. It's been a lot of change that's happened very quickly over the last month and some change," Irving added. "I've been dealing with emotions just with that, too. I'll have time to kind of go deeper into those emotions when I have the time, but as of right now I'm gonna take it in stride."
You can hear more from Irving below:
"I will be back... this is not the end of the story... Don't let anybody ever tell you to give up"
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) March 4, 2025
Kyrie Irving on IG Live not even 24 hours after tearing his ACL. pic.twitter.com/B5W5bH4vZd
Irving finishes his season with averages of 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He had elevated his game following the Doncic trade and kept Dallas in the playoff hunt.
Anthony Davis, who was the big return for the Mavericks in the Doncic trade, suffered a left abductor injury in his first game with his new team. He has not played since, and it is unclear when he will return.
With Doncic gone, Irving out for the season and Davis still sidelined, the 32-30 Mavs have very little chance of remaining in the postseason race.
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