Anthony Davis’ debut for the Mavs was a night of mixed emotions. Well, the Dallas crowd was already enraged heading into the Rockets clash after Nico Harrison decided to trade a generational superstar like Luka Doncic. But AD brought back a glimmer of hope as he dropped 26 points and sixteen rebounds in just three quarters. Unfortunately, things took a drastic turn when The Brow missed the entire fourth quarter because of a sudden adductor injury, leaving the fans doubting his addition to the team once again. But did AD’s injury also cause Kyrie Irving to miss his former running mate, Luka?

Turns out, the superstar duo has remained in contact despite Doncic’s move to the Lakers. Kyrie revealed, “We’ve texted back and forth. I’ve let him know that regardless of how this NBA business shakes out, this is always bigger than that.” Although they were teammates for only two years, Luka and Kyrie have developed a special bond that goes beyond basketball. “We’re loyal to each other’s families now. We had a lot of sacred conversations that went beyond the court, and just helping each other as men.”

For Kyrie, teaming up with Luka was a major motivation behind joining the Dallas franchise. The former champ expressed his satisfaction with what they could accomplish together in a limited time, “I set my mission early on when I got traded here of just what I wanted to accomplish with him and I felt like we got that going and unfortunately, it got cut short.”

Well, they conquered the West and made it to the NBA Finals last year, showcasing their chemistry. Sure enough, Ky plans on meeting his good pal very soon. He admitted, “Hopefully I can catch up with him during All-Star break.”

But to answer the aforementioned question, Kyrie remains optimistic about joining forces with Davis despite Saturday’s setback. He even had high praise for AD after what he saw from the forward in the limited span, “It felt good man. AD played so well. He had supreme debut. Really proud of him. He really stepped into that role with no fear and he knew what type of emotional environment it was gonna be.” Of course, it was a hostile atmosphere in Dallas, with protests against team ownership and Harrison. The  Dallas Police Department made their presence known to avoid any mishaps. But Davis seemed unbothered by the pressure, giving Kyrie hope.

Kyrie Irving makes bold Claim about the future with Anthony Davis but Injury Bug could present problems

With the way the trade went down, Kyrie was worried about how Dallas fans would treat AD upon his arrival, “I wasn’t sure how the reception was gonna be. I knew our fans were gonna welcome him but you just never know.” However, once Davis’ impressive double-double was in the books, Kyrie gained faith in the new-look team’s potential for this season, “When we do get healthy and when we’re out there able to play consecutive games together consistently, then we’re gonna be a force to be reckoned with.”

Of course, there is no denying AD’s talent. Even before the trade, he was having an incredible season with the Lakers, averaging 25.7 points and twelve rebounds. However, the concerns lie with his health. The latest reports revealed that the star big man could miss multiple weeks of action, potentially a month, dealing with left adductor strain. Even his spot on the All-Star team has been given to Kyrie because of his unavailability because of injury. So, although the Mavs have the potential to be successful talent-wise as Kyrie claims, the injury bug could stop them from becoming legitimate contenders. Even last night, they suffered a heartbreaking loss against the Kings in overtime without AD in the lineup. How far do you think the Mavs can go this season?