The Dallas Mavericks are under two weeks away from kicking off their 2026 regular season. This season will mark the return of point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed all of last year after tearing his ACL shortly after the Luka Doncic trade in 2025.

Now, Irving has spoken directly to Mavericks fans as he prepares to make his return to the court.

“I want to give a huge shoutout to my MFFL's because we've been very patient and they've been very patient with me. I'm just looking forward to getting back home and playing a few games in front of them, and just getting my feet wet… having that crowd pop again,” he said, per DLLS Mavs on X, formerly Twitter.

This year will mark the first time that Irving shares the court with rising star Cooper Flagg, who was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for his efforts last season, narrowly beating former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for the award.

While some fans have questioned whether Irving, considering his age and injury history, makes sense sticking around with a Mavericks team that is clearly rebuilding, the team has given no indication that it is looking to trade him, and the multi-time All-Star has looked a lot like his usual self in workout footage that has been released over the last several months.

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If Irving can resume his All-NBA form, it's not off the table that the Mavericks could compete for a playoff spot in a top-heavy Western Conference, especially if Flagg takes the expected leap in his development, particularly his outside shooting, heading into this year.

In any case, the Mavericks are slated to kick off their new season on October 21 on the road vs the Houston Rockets.