- Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers face Luka Doncic injury concerns ahead of big matchup
- Dallas Mavericks. Mavericks' injury list grows: Kyrie Irving goes down with knee sprain
Kyrie Irving's season-and possibly his career-was dealt a brutal blow Monday night as the Dallas Mavericks star suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. But while Mavericks fans reel from the news, Irving's former teammates Luka Doncic and LeBron James are standing firmly behind him in .
Doncic, who played alongside Irving until just last month before making a blockbuster move to the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the first to reach out. After Irving stayed in the game against the Sacramento Kings to shoot free throws despite the apparent severity of his injury, Doncic took to Instagram with a message of encouragement.
"You will come back stronger, mi hermano!"Doncic wrote, sharing an image of the two from their time together in Dallas.
LeBron prays for Kyrie
LeBron James, who once shared the court with Irving during their championship days with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also sent his well wishes. "Prayers sent up to Ky," James posted on social media.
The tragic update came Tuesday morning-an MRI confirmed the worst: a torn ACL, ending Irving's season and raising questions about the future of the nine-time All-Star at 32 years old.
For the Mavericks, this injury couldn't have come at a worse time. Just weeks after trading Doncic to the Lakers in a shocking move that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, the team's post-Luka era has been anything but smooth.
Dallas is on the brink
Davis has managed just one game before being sidelined with a groin injury, leaving the Mavs scrambling. To make matters worse, their roster has been decimated by injuries. Dereck Lively II (ankle), Daniel Gafford (knee), and Caleb Martin (hip) are all out. Now, with Irving down, Dallas is facing an uphill battle.
For now, Irving's road to recovery begins-but with unwavering from Doncic, LeBron, and the basketball community, one thing is certain: his story is far from over.