Kyrie Irving is finally lacing up for the Dallas Mavericks this weekend, jumping back into preseason action in China, but man, it’s been a ride. It’s been over 19 months since that brutal left ACL tear sidelined him, marking his first live game action since March 3, 2025.
Dusty May Confirms the Return, But It’s a “Limited Roster”
New Mavericks Head Coach Dusty May told reporters out in Macao that Kyrie’s definitely playing in one of the two exhibition games against the Houston Rockets. He’s not sure if it’ll be Friday or Sunday yet, depending on how Kyrie’s body feels, especially with that crazy jet lag after the trip. May even said they’re running with a “limited roster” out there, and they’re “working on different lineup combinations.” It’s clear they’re being super careful with their nine-time All-Star.
Kyrie himself? He’s stoked, saying he feels “like a little kid at the candy store a little bit” about getting back on the court. He admits the “mental aspect of it” is huge after all this time. “Being back on the floor, putting my uniform back on, hearing my name be called, it feels like it’s been a distant memory,” he said. You gotta feel for the guy, that’s a long time out of the game.
The Secret Setback and a Totally Different Mavericks Team
But here’s the kicker, folks, and something that wasn’t exactly public knowledge. It wasn’t *just* the ACL tear that kept him out all of last season. Kyrie revealed he had a “setback” in December which put him out for about eight weeks: a Grade 2 calf strain, which injury expert Jeff Stotts described as a “partial tear.” “That did put me out for about eight weeks,” Irving said. “That did kind of push my timeline back even more.” The Mavericks never disclosed that calf strain last season before officially ruling him out on February 18. Wild, right?
This isn’t even the same Mavericks team Kyrie left back on March 3, 2025. He was absolutely balling out before the ACL, averaging 28.1 points, 5.8 boards, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1 block in his final 10 games. He was shouldering nearly the entire offensive load for a Mavericks team that had just traded away franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić. Now, he’s coming back to a completely new squad. Dusty May is the head coach, Masai Ujiri is the president of basketball operations, and Mike Schmitz is the GM. Oh, and they’ve got reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg as their new franchise cornerstone. Kyrie and Flagg haven’t even played together in a real game yet. Talk about a completely different world.
So, he’s back, but there are so many unknowns. Will he play Friday or Sunday? How will that calf hold up? What’s he going to look like on the court with Flagg and this new-look Mavericks crew? Everyone’s gonna be watching to see how the nine-time All-Star truly looks after such a long, and complicated, road back.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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