Kyrie Irving Knee Surgery Was to Remove Wire from Previous Injury

As the Boston Celtics learned on Saturday they would be without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving for three to six weeks following knee surgery, the nature of the "minimally-invasive procedure" was also revealed.

Per the team's press release, the surgery was to remove a tension wire in Irving's left knee, which was "originally placed as part of the surgical repair of a fractured patella sustained during the 2015 NBA Finals." The removal of the wire should eliminate any irritation on his patellar tendon.

Irving left the Celtics' March 11 contest against the Indiana Pacers due to a sore left knee and has been sidelined ever since, missing the last five games. In a January report by Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, it was revealed that Irving had threatened to undergo clean-up surgery on his knee last summer if the Cleveland Cavaliers did not trade him.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a fine debut season in Boston, averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. His presence helped the team overcome the loss of Gordon Hayward and still be in position for a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference.

If the Celtics have any chance of making their first NBA Finals since 2010, they will need a healthy Irving. However, with Hayward sidelined and Marcus Smart recently undergoing thumb surgery, Boston could be shorthanded even as Irving nears a return.