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Kyrie Irving Had Simple Message for Teammates Before Anthony Davis's Mavericks Debut

Kyrie Irving is ready to move forward after the Luka Doncic trade.
Dallas Mavericks forward Davis and guard Irving embrace before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
Dallas Mavericks forward Davis and guard Irving embrace before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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Kyrie Irving is ready to lead the Dallas Mavericks forward alongside his new pick-and-roll partner, Anthony Davis.

After the league-altering trade where the Mavs sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick, chaos ensued, culminating in protests from Mavericks fans outside the arena on Saturday. Inside of American Airlines Center, the Mavs are hosting their first game in Dallas since the big trade, marking Davis's Dallas debut.

Despite the chaos in Dallas on Saturday, Irving is ready to continue on. Cameras caught Irving's pregame message to the team as they got ready to run onto the court in Davis's debut game.

"Let's move forward and enjoy this ride. Together on three," Irving said as he broke down the Mavs' huddle.

Irving and Davis shared a brief moment together after their teammates headed to the court. They seemingly acknowledged the new era they were about to begin, hoping to win back Mavericks' fans hearts and bring a championship to Dallas.

While the Lakers wait to begin the Dončić-LeBron James era, Irving is ready to lead the Mavericks forward even though he still misses his hermano.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.