Lakers' LeBron James Reacts to Kyrie Irving Being Helped Off Court After Knee Injury

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving received support from LeBron James after leaving Monday's loss to the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter due to a knee injury.

James posted a "prayers up" message to Irving on X, along with a fingers crossed and prayer hands emojis.

The injury occurred when Irving was driving to the basket when his right knee banged into Jonas Valančiūnas' knee, then his left knee planted on the court and hyperextended.

Irving was able to stay in the game long enough to hit two free throws, but he was helped to the locker room by the Mavs training staff.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd didn't have any updates on Irving's status beyond the initial diagnosis of a sprained left knee.

"Just unlucky," Kidd told reporters after Dallas' 122-98 defeat. "I hope that he’s healthy, that it’s not serious."

The Mavericks roster is decimated due to injuries right now. Anthony Davis, who has played just one game since being acquired in the Luka Dončić trade, still has no definite timeline to get back on the court due to a left adductor strain.

Dereck Lively II has been out since Jan. 14 due to a small fracture in his right foot. Daniel Gafford last played on Feb. 10 due to a sprained MCL.

Losing Irving for any length of time would be a huge blow for a Mavs team that doesn't have many scoring options beyond him. Kai Jones did score 21 points against the Kings in his debut for the team, but they probably can't on that happening night after night.

Among their currently healthy players who have appeared in at least 40 games, P.J. Washington has the highest scoring average at 14.0 points per contest.

James' well-wishes to Irving are a nice gesture after the two played together with the Cleveland Cavaliers for three seasons from 2014 to '17. They led the franchise to a championship during the 2015-16 season, defeating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

In June 2024, James deemed Irving as "the most gifted player the NBA has ever seen." There have been rumblings in recent years that the two would look to reunite as teammates at some point before their careers end.

Dončić's addition to the Los Angeles Lakers makes it seem unlikely that will happen, at least with the Lakers, but the bond James and Irving forged over years of playing with and against each other seems as strong as ever.