Kyrie Irving will enter his 15th NBA season next year and his fourth with the Dallas Mavericks. As he nears the twilight of his career, retirement looms for Irving, who has become one of the league’s premier guards.
Talking to reporters during the Mavericks’ training camp, Irving acknowledged the retirement talks around him but he emphasized that he is only focused on giving Dallas the best version of himself in the upcoming season, considering he missed the past year due to an injury.
Kyrie Irving Dodges Retirement Talks
“I feel like I’m going to be asked that question a few times throughout the year,” Irving said. “I wish a lot of that was under my control, but I think it’s a collaborative effort here and I’m mature enough to understand that the experience I have in the league.”
“I can use that as just talking points and conversation points when I’m talking to Masai [Ujiri] and when I’m talking to Mike Schmitz and coaching staff.”
Irving missed the entire 2025-2026 NBA season while recovering from reconstructive surgery on a torn ACL in his left knee, which he suffered in March 2025.
During preseason media day, the 34-year-old Irving announced he is under no physical restrictions heading into the new season.
Now healthy, Irving is expected to assume the mantle of the veteran voice in the locker room and possibly be a mentor for 19-year-old franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg.
Aside from Flagg, Irving will share the floor with a formidable frontcourt featuring Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, alongside versatile forwards P.J. Washington, Santi Aldama, Naji Marshall, and Dwight Powell, who was invited back to camp.
The team also bolstered its perimeter depth with Max Christie, Caleb Martin, Zaccharie Risacher, and guard Marcus Sasser.
“Everyone likes to make a big deal out of it. Everyone on social media likes to talk about it, which I don’t mind,” Irving said. “Every fair criticism that we’re brought to this franchise is fair. I’m never gonna shy away from that either. But I think my focus is just continuing to develop, continuing to put my best foot forward with these guys.”
Kyrie Irving Wants To Prove He Is Still Elite
Kyrie Irving will be entering the new story extra motivated as he hopes to prove that he is still an elite player.
“I’m ready to go out there and kick some butt,” Irving said via Associated Press. “I know that naysayers or some of the questions around where I’m going to be are going to be inevitable. But for me, I have the confidence of a champion…This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league, and everybody wants to see it up close. So, I’m looking forward to being able to lace up my shoes and being on the court with my teammates and show everybody what I got again. It’s just like riding a bike.”
In the 2024-2025 NBA season, Irving put up 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game with the Mavericks that still had Luka Doncic.
Now, he is entering a new-look squad compared to the last time he played in Dallas. The team is now coached by Dusty May and has a new general manager in Masai Ujiri.
Kyrie Irving Gets Real About Retirement Talks With Dallas Mavericks