Kyrie Irving Makes Statement in Long-Awaited Mavericks Return

Kyrie Irving is finally back on the court, and he wasted no time reminding everyone what he’s capable of.

After 586 days on the sidelines, the eight-time All-Star made his highly anticipated return in the Dallas Mavericks’ 132-115 preseason victory over the Houston Rockets in Macao, China.

Irving finished with a team-high 17 points, three assists and six made field goals on 13 attempts in just 22 minutes, marking his first NBA game action since tearing his left ACL in March 2025.

The 34-year-old made an immediate impact, scoring on Dallas’ opening possession with a reverse layup that sent the sold-out Venetian Arena crowd into a frenzy.

“A lot of emotions leading into it,” Irving said, according to ESPN. “Grateful that Dusty [May] called the first play for me. Had my mind made up just to attack. … I saw that baseline open up a little bit, and it just felt good to get that out of the way.

“I was imagining how it was going to go, dreaming about how it was going to go. I’m just glad I got that out of the way.”

Irving’s recovery wasn’t without setbacks, with the veteran revealing he suffered a Grade 2 calf strain in December that contributed to his absence for the entire 2025-26 season.

Mavericks head coach Dusty May admitted he was surprised by how sharp Irving looked after such a lengthy absence.

“I didn’t expect him to play this well after being off for so long, just [because of] the rhythm of the game,” May said. “It’s just a testament to his work.”

The game also marked Irving’s first appearance alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.

The pair connected on a full-court pass for an Irving layup before combining in another highlight sequence, with Flagg’s chase-down block leading to an Irving three-pointer.

“That was really cool to see, to be able to witness that,” Mavericks guard Max Christie said. “He looked phenomenal. It was very, very fun to watch.”

For Irving, the performance was another major step toward returning to his best.

“Being able to perform at a high level, that felt amazing,” Irving said. “I humbled myself while also just being aggressive and trying to look like myself again.”