Kyrie Irving Fires Back at Media For Creating False Narrative Over His Absence From Cavs Reunion Tour

Earlier this June, some members of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers went on a European vacation to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their championship win. These members included LeBron James, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellavedova. However, one notable name missing from that list was Kyrie Irving.

Because of his absence, there was a narrative circulating stating that Irving ghosted his former Cavs teammates. This led to many assuming that Kai is not on good terms with the squad. But after a couple of weeks of silence, Irving went on social media to clear the air.

"Me and my brothers who played on the Cavs bro, we’re good," Irving said while walking the streets of China. "We are more than good. ... Me and my teammates who won a championship together in 2016, we are straight. It's all love. When I get back to the States, imma pop in with them, we're gonna chop it up, we're gonna have a great time. The immaturity behind using media to spin narratives is psychotic, bro."

On June 20, ESPN Cleveland also reported that J.R. Smith cleared the air and dispelled the speculation, commenting on social media that Irving had reached out.

"He reached out! We GOOD! God Bless the young GAWD!!!! Greatest PG I've played with," Irving wrote in the comments.

NBA insider Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson previously reported that Irving's absence was due to prior commitments he had scheduled before the Euro trip.

Irving is currently on tour in China for ANTA and is set to facilitate the 'Uncle Drew Circuit'. Based on his schedule, his China tour is set to conclude on June 29. Irving will then fly to Indonesia for a one-day appearance on June 30.

After that, he heads back home to the States. While it remains to be seen whether Irving links up with his Cavs teammates, a more pressing issue looms over the Mavs star.

How is Kyrie Irving recovering?

While Kyrie Irving is busy touring the world to fulfill his obligations with ANTA, many are wondering whether the Dallas Mavericks star will make his return next season.

Irving tore his left ACL back on March 3, 2025. The injury forced him to sit out the remainder of the 2024-25 season and the entirety of the 2025-26 season. As of this writing, he is now 15 months into his recovery.

Based on average recovery time, athletes tend to recover in 9 to 12 months after surgery. Thankfully, the latest update has given fans hope.

Kyrie Irving had no trouble outwitting youngsters at the NBPA Top 100 Camp during the 'Can You Guard Kyrie?' challenge. While he is still not 100%, he is getting there.

"More than 15 months into rehab, Irving says he’s close to being over 100%, and the Mavericks have raved about his work ethic throughout the process," Hooper reported on June 10.

This means that by the time the 2026-27 season starts, there shouldn't be any health issues for the Mavericks star. It'll be interesting to see how Irving can help elevate the new face of the franchise, Cooper Flagg, as they are set to share the hardwood for the first time.