Amid the shock of last month’s blockbuster trade to the Mavs, Anthony Davis saw one silver lining—A chance to play with Kyrie Irving. With AD’s ability to finish at the rim and Kyrie’s insane playmaking, they seemed like the perfect fit. Unfortunately, the world never got to see that duo in action as Davis suffered an adductor injury upon his Mavs debut. And just when he was nearing his return, Irving tore his ACL and got shut down for the season.

Sure enough, revealed his thoughts on Kyrie’s injury after last night’s win against the Nets, “It was devastating. Obviously, you know Ky is a phenomenal basketball player but even more phenomenal human. Anytime, anyone goes through something like that, an injury like that, it always sucks.”

However, now that a few weeks have passed since the unfortunate incident, Davis revealed that Uncle Drew is in a much better headspace, “Obviously, initial injury and initial moment, just wanted to give him space. Then came back to the locker room, got everything out of his system and you know excited about the rehab process. Obviously, you see now he’s streaming… he’s in a good headspace.”

Yes, Irving has remained optimistic despite his season coming to an early end. Of course, his positive mindset has also motivated Davis and the rest of the Mavs squad to do better, “He’s been around the team. He was on the bench, so to see him in a great headspace is good for our team. Good for me and I’m pretty sure, good for him. Obviously, it sucks but we gotta hold the fort down for this season and then you know until next season till he’s ready to come back.” Depending on the severity of the injury and the rehab process, Irving could miss a significant portion of next season as well. So, it will be up to Anthony Davis and Co. to keep the team afloat until their superstar guard is back.

While AD claims that Kyrie is doing great these days, that was not the case on the night he suffered the brutal injury.

Kyrie Irving remembers painful moments from ACL injury, says he thought about Kobe Bryant!

Well, Irving was having an incredible season before he got injured. With Luka out and Davis sidelined, he was single-handedly carrying the team, averaging 24.7 points and nearly five assists. So, when he tore his ACL just weeks before playoffs, his entire world came crashing down.

During a recent live stream, Irving revealed his thoughts when he was standing at the free throw line with a busted knee, “I’m tearing up at the free throw line, and I could just sense that my body was in shock. And the moment that I got up there and dribbled, I was thinking about thanking God from the outset—right from the start.”

Overwhelmed with emotions, Kyrie was reminded of another legend who went through something similar in the past, “But I just started thinking about all my predecessors. Especially Kobe.” Years ago, Kobe Bryant also shot a free throw after tearing his Achilles during a game, showcasing his Mamba Mentality.

Kyrie did the same that night. He continued, “You know, at that moment, I could feel the sense of—my season is done. I’m hurting. I’m crying. I got millions of people watching me. I got millions of people praying for me. I got millions of people that are involved in this journey with me—so they’re feeling the same pain that I’m feeling. They might not feel the physical pain, but they’re feeling the pain I’m feeling. And I just wanted to be strong.”

Although the year might be over for Kyrie, Mavs fans are hopeful that he will return stronger next season and lead them to another dominant run alongside AD. Thoughts?