“I wish they would respect [Kyrie Irving] and give him a couple more calls under the basket. He’s a great finisher around the rim but he’s gonna end up getting hurt because of how many guys put him on the floor,” Gafford stated.

The Mavericks have publicly campaigned for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to be voted as starters for this year’s All-Star Game.

Nets team, saying the Mavericks didn’t just win the swap that brought him to Dallas, but got the best deal in the NBA.

Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II received injury updates for the Mavericks' game on Monday against the Hornets.

Kyrie Irving — an expert in rivalries — agreed that the Thunder and Mavericks have become arch-nemesis. “It’s personal. I think it’s the start of a healthy rivalry," Irving said. "... We’re gonna be seeing them a lot over the next few years so it’s good that you set the precedent now what it’s gonna be like.

The 32-year-old doesn’t anticipate he’ll need surgery. He said he will “most likely” be available to play Wednesday in New Orleans.

That decision forced the Thunder to stick close to the Mavericks' role players throughout the first quarter. Once Washington scored the first five points, Irving asserted himself and drained a 3-pointer before finishing at the basket with a finger roll to give the Mavericks an early 10-0 lead.

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has been ruled out of Wednesday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are similarly resting power forward Zion Williamson.

In a recent interview, Kyrie Irving described his trade from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks as a victory.