Kyrie Irving has been a very well known name in the basketball world for a very long time now. However, being an NBA legend does not mean one is exempt from injuries. Irving has torn his ACL. An ACL tear can ruin a basketball player, as well as their career. Irving is not the young man he once was, either. It is very possible this could change the way he pays the game forever. Although Kyrie has shown immense resilience before, so can he do it once again?
Reports from ESPN state that it is in fact an ACL tear. However, while many players would have gone straight back to the locker room, Kyrie Irving remained on the court to shoot his two free-throws. Irving would be carried to the foul line by NBA employees, and proceed to nail both shots. It is known by many that Irving’s mentor was the late and great Kobe Bryant. The Mamba Mentality was in full display tonight as Irving looked very similar to Kobe on that line. However, for Bryant, it was a torn Achilles tendon. It would be safe to say that Kobe would be extremely proud of the competitor that Kyrie has grown into. Hopefully Irving can “Come back stronger than ever.”
NBA Star Kyrie Irving Opens up about his ACL Injury
“Just wanted to let you guys know that I’m OK and I will be OK moving forward,” he said. “It does suck. A lot. I ain’t going to lie to you guys. This one stings for sure.”
This injury to Irving is a huge blow to the Dallas Mavericks, who have just been in shambles as of late. After trading away Luka Doncic to L.A. for Anthony Davis, AD ends up hurt in his first game. Now, Kyrie is done for the rest of the season. The front office has set a fantastic example of what not to do if a team wants to win it all. The Mavs were just in the NBA Finals because of Luka Doncic. Now, they will be lucky to stay in the playoff picture.
With that being said, the Mavs are now exploring possibilities of resting Anthony Davis for the rest of the season. Many seem to believe this is the correct move, and hope Dallas can come back next season and be fully healthy. However, as for Kyrie Irving, he has quite the recovery road ahead of him. For a player who has dealt with knee injuries before, he knows the drill already. The NBA is not ready to be without Kyrie Irving just yet. So here’s hoping for a quick and seamless recovery for Uncle Drew.
