It’s no secret the Dallas Mavericks have hit an all-time, terrible run. From the high of the NBA Finals nine months ago, to Nico Harrison’s groundbreaking decision to send Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, to Anthony Davis suffering an adductor injury in his first game in Dallas, to now Kyrie Irving suffering a season-ending torn ACL injury…I’m tired just thinking of everything that’s happened.
Take a look at the full timeline of the recent, some might say, collapse in Dallas:
9 months ago, the Mavericks were in the NBA Finals.
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) March 4, 2025
Now, they’re falling apart.
Here’s a full timeline of the collapse in Dallas 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/5DfLGXLJQ6
Let’s focus on Kyrie. The guard suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Monday night’s game between the Mavericks and Kings and will be shut down for the season. This is a devastating blow for a Dallas squad sitting 10th in the Western Conference and are already riddled with injuries—centers Anthony Davis (adductor), Dereck Lively II (ankle) and Daniel Gafford (knee) have all missed multiple weeks of action.
After possibly the most shocking trade in sports history, Irving carried the weight of the offense on his shoulders, averaging 28.6 points per game after the All-Star break (and before Monday’s stint vs. Sacramento).
Irving, however, provided more than just his wizard-like ball handling skills. Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban sat down with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes of “ALL THE SMOKE” and touched on the kind of human Irving is off the court:
“Kai is the dude that you become friends with in college that, when you’re sitting around in the dorm room, he’s going to get into a deep conversation no matter what.”
Cuban painted Irving in a sentimental light, touching on his tendency to see the deeper meaning in mundane things. If the team’s coaches and locker room bought into the specific type of attitude he displayed, then “[Kyrie’s] easy, because his heart is always in the right place.”
The next question is: Where do the Mavericks end up without Kyrie Irving? While guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Max Christie are the most likely replacements on the court for Irving, his impact at practices and dedication to the game are sure to be missed.
