Kyrie Irving suffered a left knee sprain on Monday night during the Dallas Mavericks’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Despite the obvious pain after hitting the floor during a shot, he stepped up to the free-throw line with tears streaming down his face before exiting the game late in the first quarter.
The injury occurred when Irving was fouled by DeMar DeRozan while driving to the basket. As he landed, his right foot made contact with Jonas Valanciunas’ foot, causing him to lose balance.
The awkward landing resulted in a hyperextension of his left knee, sending him crashing to the floor.
Following the game, the Mavericks did not provide an official update on the extent of Irving’s injury.
“Just unlucky,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “I hope that he’s healthy, that it’s not serious.”
Irving remained on the ground for several minutes, clutching his leg in pain. Injured forward Anthony Davis assisted him to the locker room before Kidd spoke with him.
A moment of pure determination for Kyrie Irving.
After suffering an injury, Kyrie was helped to the line to take his free throws before exiting the game.
He made both. 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/hJDDRTDLg7
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2025
Shortly after, Irving returned to the court to take his free throws. He successfully made both shots, reducing the deficit to 23-18, before being escorted back to the tunnel. The team soon confirmed he would not return for the rest of the game.
“That’s just who, I mean, Kai’s a tough guy,” Kidd added. “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.”
Irving’s determination to take his free throws drew comparisons to Kobe Bryant, who famously made two foul shots for the Los Angeles Lakers after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2013, during a game against Golden State Warriors.
Before the injury, Irving, a nine-time All-Star, was averaging 25 points per game and had taken on a crucial role as Dallas’ primary outside shooter following the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
The Mavericks were already dealing with a depleted roster, missing key players such as Anthony Davis – who sustained a groin injury in his lone game with Dallas on February 8 – along with Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and PJ Washington Jr.
Dallas’ injury woes worsened when reserve guard Jaden Hardy went down with a right ankle sprain in the third quarter, leaving the team with just nine available players.
“It seems every time we get close to getting somebody back, someone goes down,” Kidd finished. “Tonight, both Hardy and Kai go down. So, we’re running out of bodies here.”
