Kyrie Irving is officially back on the hardwood for the Dallas Mavericks, ending a grueling 586-day wait and hitting the ground running with 17 points and three assists in a 132-115 preseason win over the Houston Rockets. After more than a calendar year out of action, the nine-time All-Star showed he’s ready to go.
The Long Road Back
It felt like forever, right? Irving hadn’t touched an NBA court since March 3, 2025, after tearing his ACL. That’s a massive layoff, the kind that makes you wonder how a player’s going to look. But he’s clearly been putting in the work. He told reporters after the game that there were “a lot of emotions leading into it.” You can only imagine what that first step onto the floor felt like, especially after envisioning it for so long.
“Just Glad I Got That Out Of The Way”
Talk about making an immediate impact. Mavs coach Dusty May clearly had faith, calling the first play for Irving. “Had my mind made up just to attack,” Irving said, describing how he saw the baseline open up and just went for it. He summed it up perfectly: “It just felt good to get that out of the way. I was imagining how it was going to go, dreaming about how it was going to go. I’m just glad I got that out of the way.” Seventeen points and three dimes in his first game back after 586 days? That’s not just good, that’s a statement.
It was just preseason, sure, but after over a year and a half sidelined, seeing Kyrie Irving back and delivering like that is huge. Mavs fans have to be buzzing. The team got the win against the Rockets, and their star guard looks like he hasn’t missed a beat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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