Dallas upgrades Kyrie Irving to “No Restrictions” ahead of training camp

It’s official. Kyrie Irving is back.

After spending the last 19 months recovering from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament, the Dallas Mavericks finally gave their superstar point guard the green light to participate in any team activity without physical limitations.

Irving revealed the offseason development during Dallas’ preseason media day on Sept. 26, 2026, saying that the Mavericks’ medical team placed him on the active list for the upcoming training camp.

“No restrictions,” Irving said.

“I’ve had some conversations with the medical staff about back-to-back games and just the quality of where I am. That’s the most important.”

Irving sat out the majority of last season after tearing his ACL on March 3, 2025, in a Western Conference showdown against the Sacramento Kings.

At the 2:35 mark of the first quarter, the nine-time All-Star attempted a coast-to-coast layup but got sandwiched between DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas.

Irving split the double team with a power-hop move, but his left knee bent awkwardly, and he immediately fell to the floor.

The floor general quickly grabbed his left knee, pointed at Dallas’ conditioning staff, and appeared to be in disbelief. He had to be helped to his feet by his teammates but did not put any weight on his left leg.

He then received a warm round of applause from the Dallas fans and the Sacramento bench when he headed to the free-throw line to shoot a pair of free throws. Irving made both shots but went to the locker room afterward and did not return to the game.

Without Irving, the Mavericks struggled to rack up consecutive wins, finishing 12th in the West last season with a disappointing 26-56 record.

Now back in shape, the veteran superstar is aiming to spearhead Dallas’ 2026-27 NBA campaign alongside Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.

“Coming back from a traumatic injury is not the easiest thing to overcome,” Irving added.

“But no excuses; I think I was built for this. Getting past the mental hurdle and the fear. I think this summer gave me a lot of time to reflect on that.”