Ex-Lakers assistant coach highlights contrast between JuJu Watkins & Kyrie Irving's psyche following season-ending injuries

Former LA Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy shared the latest on Kyrie Irving and JuJu Watkins' gut-wrenching season-ending injuries. The differences in age and experience were revealed by Handy, who discussed how each player dealt with the initial shock.

During a conversation with "All the Smoke" on Friday, the experienced coach explained how Irving reacted to the injury and the difference when Watkins had the same fate.

"I've talked to both of 'em numerous times since," Handy said. "Been on FaceTime with Kyrie a few times. Ky gets it, he's been injured before, so his mind of just understanding what this process is like. JuJu, on the other hand, was a little different.

"Just the first time she's been injured and the first couple of days for her were really tough, just from a mental standpoint. I had a chance to talk with her a number of times, went to lunch and she's on the other side of that now. She's like, 'Phil, I'm ready. I'mma come back stronger, I understand that this is gonna be good for me.'"

The Dallas Mavericks star went down with an ACL against the Sacramento Kings on March 3. He was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season, ending the Mavericks' chances to compete for the 2025 NBA championship.

Exactly three weeks later, on March 24, JuJu Watkins sustained an ACL that cut short her sophomore season with the USC Trojans. The young guard entered a long process that may be challenging for plenty of people.

Irving and Watkins have a close relationship and they will likely link up during their rehab process to support each other, as they did several months ago when they were healthy.

JuJu Watkins revealed how Kyrie Irving helped her become a bigger threat to defenses

JuJu Watkins explained during the 2024-25 season that she learned how to be patient with opponents and used the first quarter of games to study the defensive approach of the opposing teams. When asked about how she learned that, she credited Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan.

"I think a lot of it comes from having conversations," she said. "I think when I talked with pro players, DeMar [DeRozan] and you know, Kyrie [Irving], they all emphasized playing smart. And for DeMar, it's like knowing when to attack and set the defense up so that they think you're you know trying to figure things out but then you already figured it out."

Watkins, DeRozan, Irving and Handy linked up in August. JuJu Watkins was surrounded by stars and soaked up many things that helped her game this past season.