Mavericks say Kyrie Irving is ‘right on schedule’ with recovery from ACL surgery

Kyrie Irving had a look of anguish displayed on his face the last time he played in an NBA game.

That fateful game in early March resulted in a torn left ACL for the engine of the Dallas Mavericks’ offense. Nearly seven months later, Irving graced a wide smile while he spoke publicly about the devastating injury for the first time.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd issued a warning of precaution during Monday’s media day that Irving is “right on schedule” just a few minutes prior to Irving’s news conference. Irving echoed those sentiments with his opening remarks.

“I’m right on schedule, guys,” Irving said. “There’s consistency there.”

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Irving is the only Mavericks player who is not cleared for this week’s training camp in Vancouver, BC. He doesn’t have a definitive timeline for a return, but he’s expected to miss multiple months of the 2025-26 season since typical ACL recoveries can range from at least nine to 12 months.

Irving said there have been highs and lows throughout his recovery process and intimated that he’s been in contact with a group of several other stars who also suffered serious leg injuries, including Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton.

“It’s been up and down, emotionally, just because of the good days where you make progress and some other days where you want to push your body to the limit but you can’t. I was dealing with some of that. It’s been a great journey so far, connecting with others who’ve torn their ACL or dealt with traumatic injuries,” Irving said.

“I think all of us are trying to prove we’re alien-like or we can heal like Wolverine, so to say. For me, the best advice I got is, ‘Take your time. No timeline is going to be perfect. Don’t compare it to anyone else and just enjoy the process.’ That’s what I’ve been doing.“

Asked Kyrie Irving to reflect on the night he tore his ACL:

“I feel like I’ve gotten past that moment, just being able to even watch it…I felt like I was top 15 in the world and there was no doubt about it. I was showing up every night.” pic.twitter.com/ESeMesclWW

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) September 29, 2025

While the Mavericks aren’t looking to rush their star guard back into the lineup anytime soon, general manager Nico Harrison said Irving was “ahead of schedule” in July during an interview with NBA TV while the team was in Las Vegas for summer league. A recent report also suggested Irving was ahead of schedule.

A video with Irving knocking down deep 3-pointers surfaced last week, causing a glimmer of optimism from fans hoping for an early return. However, Kidd provided more clarity about his star’s status.

“I’m not a doctor but when we do see Kai shooting, can just refrain from saying ‘ahead of schedule?’ That’s bad reporting,” Kidd said. “He is doing quite well as we can see, but he’s not ahead of schedule. Let’s not say that. That’s unfair to him and to the Mavs because it’s not true.

“Now is he on schedule? It looks like it. A lot of positive things are happening, but the report that he’s ahead of schedule is not fair.”

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