Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving entered training camp with no restrictions from the ACL tear in his left knee that forced him to miss all of last season, according to an Associated Press story. Irving began Friday’s media day interview by calling the injury “probably the best thing that happened to me” because it provided time to reflect on his career and his life.

“On where I want to be as a player and most importantly where do I want to be as a man,” he said. “How can people look to me to be a better leader, a better communicator, be more emotional, vulnerable. And also taking the approach of acting like my age finally. Being 34 years old, I’m going on year 16. Been through a lot, been through a lot of ups and downs as a person. But I think me as a competitor out there, you never have to worry about me falling short of (putting) my best foot forward out there.”

Irving returns to a team that has changed significantly since he suffered the injury in March of 2025. Cooper Flagg, who was drafted a few months later, has become the franchise cornerstone, Dusty May replaced Jason Kidd as head coach, and Masai Ujiri took over as team president. The roster underwent major changes this summer, and Irving is hoping to lead Dallas back to playoff contention after a 26-56 season.

“I’m ready to go out there and kick some butt,” he said. “I know that naysayers or some of the questions around where I’m going to be are going to be inevitable. But for me, I have the confidence of a champion. … This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league, and everybody wants to see it up close. So, I’m looking forward to being able to lace up my shoes and being on the court with my teammates and show everybody what I got again. It’s just like riding a bike.”

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Irving was the subject of trade speculation even before the injury, but he told reporters that he wants to stay with the Mavericks and help the franchise rebuild (Twitter video link from Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). “There’s a lot of guys that just wanna come in here and do the right thing and I think I’m right on board with that,” Irving said. “I’m in love with this place just because of how welcoming it was, not just the franchise aspect, but also the fans. … I just feel confident that whatever we put on the floor this year, we’ll do the best of our ability and we’re building something.”
Flagg measured at 6’10” during his physical on Thursday, an inch taller than he was during his rookie season, Curtis notes in a roundup of media day storylines (subscription required). Flagg, who also appears to have gotten stronger over the summer, is looking forward to finally taking the court with Irving. “He just makes it easy to play with him,” Flagg said. “He’s one of the greats in our game and he’s an incredible talent. But I think that, combined with his personality, makes it easy to fit next to and play with.”
Dereck Lively II provided a health update in the wake of a report this week that he hasn’t been medically cleared for the start of training camp, Curtis states in the same piece. Lively, who underwent season-ending foot surgery last December, said he’s able to run and jump and is happy with the progress he’s made. “I’m very grateful to the team for just giving me the ability to take my time and make sure I’m doing everything right and make sure I’m taking care of my body,” he said. “I’ve been running on the treadmill. I’ve been practicing jumps. I’ve been slowly getting back on the court.”
May plans an up-tempo style with an emphasis on rebounding during his first season as an NBA coach, Curtis adds. “We have size, we have length, we have youth and good energy,” May said. “That naturally lends itself to playing in transition, and these guys have done well playing in transition to this point in workouts. Also dominating the glass.”