Many NBA fans are wondering when Kyrie Irving will return after his season-ending injury. The 32-year-old star player for the Dallas Mavericks suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, as reported by ESPN, in a game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, March 3, 2025. Irving was driving to the basket when he was fouled by DeMar DeRozan and subsequently landed awkwardly on his left leg. He hobbled off the court and then to the free throw line, before sinking two baskets as the crowd chanted “MVP!” Here’s how long the recovery time will be Kyrie Irving’s ACL tear.
What is the latest Kyrie Irving injury update?
The latest update on Kyrie Irving’s injury is that he is expected to be out for the remainder of the 2025 season. It takes 6 to 12 months to recover from a torn ACL, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
At the time of writing, Irving and the Dallas Mavericks have yet to release a statement on the exact nature of the injury, particularly if it’s partial tear or a full tear. This will determine how long it will take for the ligament to heal and for Irving to go through rehabilitation.
For full ACL tears, it usually takes a year for an NBA player to return to play after getting ACL reconstruction, which is the surgery Irving will likely need to undergo to repair his left knee. This estimate comes from a 2021 study, which found that it took an average of 372 days for athletes in the NBA to come back to the court. Given Irving’s age, compared to the younger players in the league, it may take longer for him to recover from an ACL tear.
The study also calculates the average career length after this type of surgery to be around three and a half seasons. And even if a player returns to the court, they tend to play far fewer games and their player efficiency rating drops about 20% in the first season after the operation.
The Dallas Mavericks has had to take many hits this season due to injuries. Irving returned to the court in December 2024 after a shoulder injury. Backup guard Jaden Hardy also suffered an ankle injury later in the match, Anthony Davis had an adductor strain in early February, and Daniel Gafford had a knee injury against the Kings in the same month.
