Kyrie Irving has dismissed the growing narrative that the Dallas Mavericks overused him, leading to his season-ending ACL tear. The injury, which occurred during a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, has left the Mavericks reeling as they struggle to salvage their season in the wake of Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, Irving is making it clear that his injury was a freak accident, not a result of excessive minutes or overuse.
“Too many minutes??? Or did I get knocked off balance?”
Following the injury, many fans and analysts pointed out that Irving had been carrying an immense workload since Doncic was traded. Over his last nine games, Irving averaged 27.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 39.4 minutes per game, often shouldering the offensive burden alone.
With Anthony Davis also sidelined, the pressure on Irving only intensified. Some argued that the Mavericks’ reliance on him led to physical exhaustion, making him more susceptible to injury. Irving himself has refuted these claims, taking to Instagram to shut down the speculation.
His head coach, Jason Kidd, also strongly rejected the notion that the Mavericks ran Irving into the ground, calling it a baseless conspiracy theory. Despite Kidd’s firm stance, the debate about Irving’s workload and its potential impact on his injury continues.
Before his ACL tear, Irving had been dealing with a bulging disc in his back, playing through significant discomfort because the Mavericks simply had no other shot creators after trading Doncic. Some believe that the wear and tear from carrying the offense night after night weakened his body, even if the actual ACL tear happened on a freak play.
Adding to the Mavericks’ woes, Anthony Davis remains uncertain for the rest of the season. With Irving now sidelined for at least nine to twelve months, there is growing speculation that Dallas may choose to shut Davis down completely to preserve his health for next season.
The Mavericks are 32-31 and barely clinging onto a play-in spot, but without their two biggest stars, their playoff hopes are fading fast, and reports suggest that they could start tanking for a future star in the upcoming draft.
Irving’s injury also complicates his future in the NBA. He was expected to decline his $43.9 million player option and test free agency in 2025, but now, he will likely opt in and rehabilitate with the Mavericks. Whether he can fully recover and return to his All-NBA level remains a major question.
Ultimately, whether overuse played a role in Irving’s injury or not, the Mavericks’ post-Luka experiment is already in shambles. What was supposed to be a title-contending roster built around Davis and Irving has collapsed within a month, leaving the franchise with more questions than answers heading into the offseason.
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