For more than a year, everyone has wondered when Kyrie Irving would return to an NBA court. The point guard has been out of sight during a long and quiet rehabilitation process, but there's finally a positive update about his condition.

On Friday, May 29, Irving gave fans the update they had been waiting to hear. He hosted a broadcast on his personal Twitch channel. During this stream, he revealed that he is nearing a full recovery after missing the entire 2025-26 season.

A clip from the stream was shared on X by the account DLLS Mavs the following day. In the video, Irving shared an update on his progress, saying, “I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery. I’m so grateful that I’ve had the time to heal…”

Irving explained that he has used this downtime to test his physical limits both on and off the court. He spent considerable time experimenting with his body in the weight room and during basketball drills. 

Irving is now more than 14 months removed from his initial knee surgery. His training schedule is ramping up as he prepares for the start of training camp in late September. 

Getting back to this point required a huge amount of patience from both the player and the organization. The recovery process was long and filled with tough decisions. 

How Irving reached this point after a season-long absence

The injury happened back on March 3, 2025, during a home game against the Sacramento Kings. Irving drove toward the basket in the first quarter and suffered a non-contact injury to his left knee. Tests later confirmed a torn ACL.

On March 26, 2025, Irving underwent successful reconstruction surgery. Right after the injury, he went on Instagram Live to tell his followers that the recovery process had started mentally and emotionally. 

By late August 2025, Irving shared a five-month update online stating that his knee was healing well. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd told reporters at the time that the guard was right on schedule with his rehabilitation. 

There was internal hope for a potential mid-season return, but the franchise refused to rush their star player.

On February 18, 2026, the Mavericks made the official decision to shut Irving down for the rest of the season to focus on full rehabilitation. It marked the very first time in his 15-year career that he missed an entire 82-game regular season.

Dallas felt his absence on the court as the team finished a 26-56 season and missed the postseason. The offense struggled without his scoring and playmaking, resulting in a franchise-worst nine-game losing streak.

Before the injury, Irving was performing well in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists over 50 games and also earned his 9th All-Star nod. 

He showed his commitment to the franchise by signing a three-year, $119 million contract extension. New general manager Mike Schmitz has praised his daily dedication, and Irving is locked in to mentor rookie Cooper Flagg. 

The Mavericks clearly look like a different team when number 11 is on the floor. Drop your thoughts on how Irving will change the results for Dallas next season.

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy