On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks' year of atrocious injury luck came to a head. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving tore his ACL during a 122–98 loss to the Sacramento Kings, ending his season.
Irving's injury led to an outpouring of sympathy across the basketball world, including from the nine-time All-Star's general manager—Nico Harrison. Harrison has become an unwitting household name across North America for masterminding Dallas's widely ridiculed trade of guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, but on Tuesday he expressed pubic support for Irving.
"There aren't words to fully describe who Kyrie Irving is to this team or what he means to us as an organization," Harrison said via ESPN's Shams Charania. "Kyrie is the heart and soul of this team."
The Mavericks acquired Irving from the Brooklyn Nets in Feb. 2023, ending a disastrous tenure marred by numerous off-the-court controversies. Irving then helped Dallas win the Western Conference title in 2024.
"His work ethic and absolute dedication to his craft, it’s cut from the cloth of greats. I know it, I lived it, and I see the same ferocity and passion in him that I saw in (Hall of Fame guard) Kobe (Bryant)," Harrison said, alluding to his past work with Bryant for Nike.
The Mavericks are currently 32-30—good for 10th in the Western Conference.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Issues Statement After Team Loses Kyrie Irving for Season.
