E-Paper
Kyrie Irving out for the season? A look at Mavericks star's ACL injury and recovery timeline
Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee during a game against Sacramento Kings. The recovery from a torn ACL typically takes 6-9 months.
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee during a game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. According to ESPN, the nine-time All-Star may be out for the remainder of the season. This marks a second major setback for the Mavericks, following the injury to Anthony Davis, who sustained an injury during his debut game for Dallas and is currently uncertain about his return date.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) recovery time -
According to Cleveland Clinic, recovery from a torn ACL typically takes six to nine months, with athletes often requiring six to 12 months to return to their previous level of sports performance. With the 2024–25 NBA season ending on April 13, 2025, is unlikely that Kyrie Irving will return to play this season, based on the typical recovery timeline.
How did Kyrie Irving suffer the injury?
Irving sustained the injury when he was fouled by DeMar DeRozan while driving to the basket. His right foot landed on the foot of the Kings' Jonas Valančiūnas, causing him to lose balance and awkwardly land on his left leg. It appeared that his knee hyperextended before he fell to the floor.
“Just unlucky,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I hope that he’s healthy, that it’s not serious.”
After the injury, Irving grabbed his leg and stayed on the floor for a few minutes before injured forward Anthony Davis helped him to the locker room. Despite the injury, Irving returned to the court to take two free throws.
“That’s just who, I mean, Kai’s a tough guy,” Kidd said. “I asked him as they were taking him off the court, ‘Are you good if you leave without shooting? You’re ruled out.’ So they took him to the free-throw line, and he shot the free throws and then we got him out.”
(With inputs from AP)
