"I'm back." This is what Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving wrote in a tweet, referencing his return to the NBA court after a long journey to recovery.
Irving will make his 2015-2016 NBA season debut on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, against the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers.
The Cavaliers guard suffered a fractured kneecap last June during Game 1 of the 2015 NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors. The injury required Irving to undergo a season-ending surgery and about three to four months of rehab before he could return to the court.
However, the Cavaliers did not set a specific timeline for Irving's return as they do not want to rush the guard's recovery. Thus, Irving ended up spending six months before he could finally wear the Cavs jersey in a game.
Irving was expected to play last week, but the Cavaliers wanted to make sure that their 23-year-old guard is 100 percent healthy and ready to play.
"I'm pretty F'ing excited. There were a few things I had to clear, but there was no rush on it. ... I've been ready to play, but biomechanically we just wanted to make sure everything was good so I wouldn't put myself at risk," Irving told ESPN.
In a report by Yahoo!, the 2011 first overall pick shared that the journey to going back has been both rigorous and emotional for him as he kept thinking on what he needed to prioritize. Irving also said that he has learned to be patient during the emotional months of his recovery.
The three-time NBA All-Star, nonetheless, did not forget to show appreciation for the Cavs staff and teammates who he thanked for helping him prepare and stay confident.
Irving is expected to start against the Sixers as fellow Cavs' guard Mo Williams is out with a sprained wrist and Iman Shumpert still questionable with a groin injury. However, he will be playing in restricted minutes as he adjusts his body on playing in the NBA level again.
"It's not like I'm coming in and just trying to take 15 to 20 shots right after I come off injury. For me, it's just trying to jell back in and continue to play the right way. My basketball knowledge, I'm pretty confident in coming in and not trying to overdo it in any single way and just be aggressive," Irving told Yahoo!
The Cavaliers currently stands at the top of the Eastern conference with a 17-7 record backed by a four0game winning streak. The return of Irving will re-unite Cleveland's version of big three, which is also composed of LeBron James and Kevin Love.