Kyrie Irving went 19 months without talking to reporters. When he finally did on Friday, Sept. 24, he said the torn ACL that kept him out of the NBA all that time was "probably the best thing that happened to me."
He said he is done rehabbing. The Dallas Mavericks guard told reporters at the team's media day that he has no physical restrictions in his left knee, which he injured March 3, 2025.
"I'm ready to go out there and kick some butt," Irving said. "I know that naysayers or some of the questions around where I'm going to be are going to be inevitable. But for me, I have the confidence of a champion."
All that time away also gave him a lot of time to think. Irving, 34, said he spent it considering "where I want to be as a player and most importantly
where do I want to be as a man.
"How can people look to me to be a better leader, a better communicator, be more emotional, more vulnerable," Irving said.
Kyrie Irving's comeback by the numbers
■ 19: Months he's been sidelined. A typical ACL recovery takes nine to 12 months.
■ 34: His age and he knows that isn't on his side. "Being 34 years old, I'm going on Year 16," he said. "Been through a lot, been through a lot of ups and downs as a person."
■ 9: All-Star selections
■ 1: Championship, won with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016
■ 0: Reasons to doubt his effort, according to Irving. "You never have to worry about me falling short of (putting) my best foot forward out there."
When does Kyrie Irving play next?
The Mavericks open the preseason with two games against the Houston Rockets in Macao, China on Oct. 9 and 11. The regular season starts Oct. 21 in Houston. The home opener is Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Irving expects it all to come back quickly. He's looking forward to lacing up his shoes, getting on the court with his teammates and, as he put it, showing "everybody what I got again.
"It's just like riding a bike."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyrie Irving healthy and ready to 'kick some butt' for Mavericks
