Another Blow for Dallas… After Doncic, Another Star is Out
After losing their franchise player Luka Dončić in a blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks suffered another devastating blow as their other star, Kyrie Irving, sustained a severe knee injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the NBA season. Before his injury, Irving was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 50 games.
The veteran point guard went down with a left knee injury while driving to the basket in Dallas’ 98-122 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Despite earning a foul on the play, Irving managed to sink both free throws before limping off the court, barely able to walk.
Replays showed the severity of the injury, as Irving landed awkwardly on the foot of Lithuanian center Jonas Valančiūnas. Despite the evident pain and tears streaming down his face, the 32-year-old insisted on returning to the court to take his free throws—a moment reminiscent of the late Kobe Bryant, who famously hit two free throws on April 12, 2013, after tearing his left Achilles tendon. Similarly, Irving’s current teammate Klay Thompson did the same on June 14, 2019, after tearing his ACL during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, which the Golden State Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors.
Medical reports later confirmed that Irving suffered a sprained ACL, ruling him out for the rest of the season. This comes at a critical time for the Mavericks, who are currently 10th in the Western Conference (32-40) and battling for a spot in the play-in tournament. The team has lost four of its last five games.
Dallas had been counting on Irving to lead them through this rough stretch and beyond, especially after Dončić’s shocking departure, which stunned fans and analysts alike. Making matters worse, the blockbuster trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers in early February—in exchange for big man Anthony Davis—hasn’t benefited Dallas at all. The 31-year-old Davis suffered a thigh injury in his first game on February 8 and hasn’t played since.
Irving now joins three other key Mavericks players on the injury list, adding to the team’s woes. To make matters worse, Jaden Hardy sprained his ankle in the third quarter of the Sacramento game and also had to exit.
Reflecting on the team’s misfortune, head coach Jason Kidd said, “It feels like every time we get close to getting a player back, we lose another one to injury. We’re running out of players at this point.”
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