Kyrie Irving Says He'll 'Be Okay' After Knee Injury: 'Honestly, What a Scare'

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a right knee sprain against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, but the nine-year veteran wrote that he'll "be okay" in an Instagram story posted the following day.

Christopher Lavinio of iHeartRadio provided a screenshot:

"I appreciate everyone reaching out!" Irving wrote.

"I'll be okay after last nights tweak with my knee. Honestly, what a scare, but I know God and the angels definitely looked out for me on that one! The Marathon Continues though, gotta keep the same focus and determination to get back out there when I'm Healthy. What a week of Challenges, but I trust in the Divine Purpose of life!"

Irving's leg got caught under Wizards guard Bradley Beal and turned at an awkward angle after diving for a loose ball in the fourth quarter of the Nets' 113-107 loss to the Wizards.

The ex-Duke Blue Devil limped into the locker room on his own power, and a postgame MRI determined that he did not tear his ACL, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Irving suffered a medial ligament sprain and will be re-evaluated in one week.

It's been a difficult week for Irving, especially after the loss of his mentor: Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. 

The 18-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion died with daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, last Sunday. John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; Sarah and Payton Chester; Christina Mauser; and Ara Zobayan also died in the crash.

Elizabeth Swinton of Sport Illustrated wrote about the relationship between Irving and Bryant on Thursday:

"When asked which current NBA players Bryant had kept the most contact with, the first name that came to his mind was Irving's. In an interview with SiriusXM last March, Bryant recalled the time Irving called Bryant via FaceTime after the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit and won the 2016 NBA Finals in Game 7 against the Warriors. He was sitting on the couch with Gianna when his phone rang."

Bryant told SiriusXM the following, per Swinton: "Kyrie's in the locker room celebrating on FaceTime like, 'Dude, it worked! Your advice worked!' I was really, really proud of him. So I'd say Kyrie is the one I'm closest to."

On the court, injuries have limited Irving to just 20 games, with a right shoulder injury keeping him out for 27 contests earlier this season.

The six-time All-Star is averaging 27.4 points, 6.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game for the 21-27 Nets, who are seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Brooklyn has five games between Monday and Wednesday, Feb. 12, before the All-Star break. The Nets will then return to the court on Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Philadelphia 76ers.

Spencer Dinwiddie should run the point in Irving's absence, with Caris LeVert also providing help with ball-handling duties.