Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving missed the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season as he recovered from the ACL tear he suffered in his previous campaign.
But now, after a full season of rehab and recovery, Irving is set to return to the court for the Maverick’s regular-season opener against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
To recognize Irving’s long and arduous road to recovery, the Mavericks posted an emotional video celebrating his return. The video, which showed unseen clips of his recovery process over the last year, featured a series of loving messages from his family members.
“Dear Kyrie,” the team wrote on social media.
Irving is looking forward to his return against the Rockets and beyond.
“I’m really excited, looking forward to the opportunity to be in Houston, hear my name called out,” Irving said when speaking with reporters earlier this week. “A good rivalry game. And a good test for me. It’ll be a good test, not only for the first game, but for the first 10 or 11.”
Wednesday’s game against the Rockets will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET.