Klay Thompson's emotional statement about Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury

Thompson has been through this situation before and feels for his new teammate.

Mar 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (right) and Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) react on the bench against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Klay Thompson is no stranger to serious injuries. He tore his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, then tore his Achilles while recovering from the ACL injury. So when he saw his new Dallas Mavericks teammate Kyrie Irving go down on Monday but stay in the game to shoot free throws, it probably gave Thompson some flashbacks, as he did the same thing in 2019.

Tests earlier in the week confirmed that Irving tore his ACL, ruling him out for the rest of the season and likely most of next season, too. Thompson was asked about Irving after Dallas' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

READ MORE: Bucks coach Doc Rivers reacts to Mavericks' Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

“That was really a gut punch, not just for the Dallas Mavericks but for basketball fans around the globe,” Thompson told the media. “Kyrie’s been our rock this year. It’s like an unfillable void he leaves so we gotta rally around him and we gotta play hard for him. That one hurt, though, seeing him go down like that really sucked. I know he’s going to come back stronger, but in the moment it just really sucks for everybody.”

The last six weeks have been a constant pain for Maverick fans. Between Luka Doncic being traded, Kyrie Irving's ACL injury, Anthony Davis' injury in his Dallas debut, season ticket prices being raised, and more injuries, the Dallas faithful are having a hard time believing in the direction of the team.

READ MORE: NBA analyst calls for Mavericks to trade Anthony Davis after Kyrie Irving injury

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