Kyrie Irving Injury History

Kyrie Irving is a professional basketball player and as of November 2024, he plays for the Dallas Mavericks. As a 6'2" combo guard, Irving was drafted as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA draft. As of November 2024, Irving has been named an All-Star eight times and has made the All-NBA teams three times. He was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2014 and won the NBA Three-point Contest in 2013. As of the 2023-24 NBA season, Kyrie Irving has won one NBA championship ( 2016 ).

Before the NBA, Kyrie Irving had a great high school career at Montclair Kimberley Academy and later St. Patrick High School in New Jersey, where he was a five-star recruit. He then played college basketball at Duke University (2010–2011), leading them to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Arizona. In his final game for the Blue Devils, Irving scored 28 points.

Kyrie Irving’s Injury History

Throughout his 14-year NBA career, Kyrie Irving has faced numerous injuries. Being a 6-foot-2 guard with an aggressive play style sometimes results in setbacks.

Season/Year	Injury	Impact
2011 (Duke)	Toe Injury	Missed most of his freshman season; returned in March for the NCAA Tournament.
2011-12	Shoulder Contusion	Missed 15 games in his rookie season with the Cavaliers.
2012-13	Fractured Finger	Missed nearly a month (November 21 to December 8), disrupting season momentum.
2012-13	AC Sprain	Missed 9 games in March 2013; limited shoulder mobility and shooting.
2013-14	Knee Bruise & Biceps Strain	Missed three games for a knee bruise and 8 for a biceps strain.
2015 (NBA Finals)	Fractured Kneecap	Ended the season during Game 1 of the Finals' Missing Game 2 to Game 6 of the 2015 NBA finals
2015-16	Fractured Kneecap Recovery	Delayed 2015-16 debut, missed 29 games total.
2016-17	Hamstring Injury	Missed three games around New Year’s, briefly disrupting the rhythm.
2017-18	Knee Surgery	Season-ending surgery in March, causing him to miss the entire postseason.
2018-19	Eye Injury, Hip Strain, Thigh Contusion	Missed a total of 15 games; affected consistency in final season with Celtics.
2019-20	Right Shoulder Injury	Season-ending surgery in February 2020; played only a few games post-recovery.
2021 Playoffs	Right Ankle Injury	Severe ankle sprain in ECSF against Bucks; ended Nets' playoff hopes.
2021-22	COVID Protocols	Missed 35 games due to ineligibility from COVID-19 vaccine protocols.
February 2022	Thumb Injury	Missed seven games from late January to early February due to a thumb injury.
2023-24	Left Foot Sprain	Missed the entire month of December due to a sprained left foot.
January 2024	Right Thumb Sprain	Missed six games while recovering; used protective measures in training.

Major Injuries Kyrie Irving Sustained in NBA

Here’s a rundown of the major injuries suffered by Kyrie Irving over the years as per Nothinn' But Nets:

Shoulder Contusion (2011-12 Season)

In his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving played 51 games out of 66 in a shortened regular season due to a lockout. However, his debut NBA season saw its first major setback due to a shoulder contusion, which sidelined him for 15 games. Despite missing a large chunk of his first season, Irving’s rookie campaign was impressive enough to earn him Rookie of the Year honors.

Fractured Finger (2012-13 Season)

During Kyrie’s second season in the NBA, he sustained a fractured finger in November 2012 as per ESPN. The injury happened early in the season in November 2012, causing him to miss nearly a month, from November 21 to December 8.

Acromioclavicular (AC) Sprain (2012-13 Season)

In March 2013, in a game against the Toronto Raptors, Kyrie Irving injured his left shoulder. This injury was eventually diagnosed as an AC sprain after a thorough MRI at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health. This painful sprain impacted his shoulder’s mobility and range, limiting his shooting and passing ability. Irving had to take a break and miss nine games. As per Cleveland.com, he described his shoulder as “not feeling right” after the injury. This was his second major injury of the season.

Biceps Injury and Knee Bruise (2013-14 Season)

In his third NBA season, Irving missed 11 games due to two separate injuries—a knee bruise that took him out for three games and a biceps strain that sidelined him for the last eight games of the season. The knee bruise was sustained earlier in the season but the biceps strain was more severe as he missed 8 games later in the season due to it.

Fractured Kneecap (2015 NBA Finals and 2015-16 Season)

Kyrie Irving played a career-high 75 games this season. However, Irving faced a tragedy in the 2015 NBA finals. Kyrie Irving’s knee cap was fractured in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals and this injury turned out to be among the most significant injuries of his career. This injury ended his season instantly and dashed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ title hopes. Irving eventually underwent surgery to repair the fracture, which delayed his 2015-16 season debut until late December. Even when he returned, he faced minute restrictions. Missing 29 games in total, Irving’s knee injury required careful management to prevent further complications.

Hamstring Injury (2016-17 Season)

Although Kyrie Irving played 72 games during the 2016-17 season, he faced hamstring issues around New Year’s time that disrupted his rhythm and sidelined him for three games.

Facial Fracture and Masked Return (November 2017)

In November 2017, Kyrie Irving suffered a facial fracture when he took an accidental elbow to the face during a game. Although it wasn't a major injury, the fracture required him to wear a protective mask upon his return to the court. Kyrie quickly adjusted to playing with the mask and continued to perform at a high level.

Knee Surgery (2017-18 Season)

In 2017-18, Kyrie Irving was missing a few games due to minor issues but in March 2018 a major issue ruined his season. Some issues from his fractured kneecap in 2015 resurfaced, and Kyrie had to get a season-ending surgery in March. Doctors removed screws from his knee that had been placed after the initial injury, which was causing discomfort and risked infection. This was another crucial season when Kyrie missed the entire postseason, and the young Boston Celtics’ playoff hopes were dashed.

Eye Injury, Hip Strain, and Thigh Contusion (2018-19 Season)

During his final season with Boston, Irving dealt with several minor injuries, including an eye injury, a hip strain, and a thigh contusion. All of these injuries kept him out for 15 games cumulatively.

Right Shoulder Injury (2019-20 Season)

Kyrie Irving’s first season with the Brooklyn Nets was heavily impacted by a right shoulder injury. He initially played 11 straight games to start the season but Kyrie experienced worsening pain in his right shoulder, which kept him out from November 16, 2019, to January 10, 2020. Although Irving returned for a while in January and played a few games, he ultimately opted for season-ending right shoulder surgery in February 2020, missing the remainder of the season.

Right Ankle Injury (2021 Playoffs)

In the 2020-21 season, Kyrie Irving had a series of injuries beyond his primary ankle issue. Alongside his right ankle troubles, he missed games due to an elbow to the face from Nikola Vucevic. Plus recurring back and finger injuries sidelined him briefly. Irving also dealt with league health and safety protocols.

Despite these setbacks, Irving, alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden, entered the playoffs healthy and positioned as a title contender. Unfortunately, during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, Irving suffered a severe ankle sprain, which was a turning point in the series. With Irving out and Harden struggling with his own injuries, the Bucks won the series in seven games and ultimately captured the championship. Kyrie himself once mentioned in an X post that his right ankle injury in the 2021 ECSF against the Bucks was devastating and it robbed the Nets of an NBA championship. Kyrie mentioned — “One of the most disappointing and painful moments of career. If I don’t get hurt in that series, every single one of us on that Brooklyn team/bandwagon would be Champions.”

COVID Protocols (2021-22 Season)

In the 2021-22 season, Kyrie Irving missed 35 games due to COVID-19 protocols as he chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This made him ineligible for certain games.

Left Foot Sprain (2023-24 Season)

According to Spotrac, while playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving suffered a sprained left foot in December 2023, which kept him out for the entire month.

Right Thumb Sprain (January 2024)

As per Spotrac, in January 2024, Kyrie Irving sprained his right thumb during a game against the Boston Celtics and missed six games. During his recovery, he worked on shooting drills while wearing protective measures to avoid aggravating the injury.

Major Injuries Kyrie Irving Sustained Before the NBA

Toe Injury (2011, Duke University)

While at Duke, Irving suffered a toe injury that sidelined him for most of his freshman season, just as he was emerging as a top player. As per SB Nation, he missed over three months before returning in March for the NCAA Tournament, where he scored 28 points in his final game for Duke. Despite the setback, he declared for the NBA draft, beginning his professional career.