Kyrie Irving Suffers Knee Injury Amid Mourning of Mentor Kobe Bryant

During the Brooklyn Nets’ game against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Feb. 1, Nets point guard Kyrie Irving experienced an unfortunate injury on the court. Irving’s injury comes as the player is currently mourning the loss of his mentor, NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

According to NBC Sports, Irving suffered a knee sprain after he got entangled with Bradley Beal while the two were fighting for the ball. While he tried to play through the injury afterward, he eventually left the game. The publication reported that the Nets ended up losing to the Wizards with the final score being 113 to 107.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski later reported that Irving would be undergoing an MRI on his knee on Sunday, Feb. 2. Following his MRI, ESPN reported that the athlete would be out for at least a week, as he did experience a medial ligament sprain on his knee. The publication noted that he’ll be re-evaluated in one week to see if he can take to the court once again.

Irving later addressed fans on his Instagram Story, telling them that he’ll “be okay,” as ESPN reported.

“Honestly, what a scare, but I know God and the angels definitely looked out for me on that one!” he reportedly continued.

Of course, as previously mentioned, Irving’s injury comes as the athlete is currently dealing with the loss of his mentor, Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, the Nets player opened up about the loss.

“It’s an open wound,” Irving said. “I’m not the only one that’s hurting. I don’t wanna make this about me and our relationship because we all shared something really, really strong with him. There’s a bond whether watching him or studying him. We all shared something.”

Irving went on to detail just how close his bond was with Bryant.

“In some ancient texts it says when the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” he said. “I had that type of mentorship relationship with him. I could ask him anything, no matter how nervous or how fearful I was. He was easy to approach with those type of questions with what goes on in a day-in and day-out basis on chasing something that’s bigger than yourself.”

“But it was what he helped you see inside of yourself. It wasn’t the words. It was something inside you he knew was there but you had to tap into it,” Irving continued, noting that his connection with Bryant went beyond basketball. “And he tapped into it all the time when was playing the game of basketball, when he was around his family. He’s getting his just due and his legacy now, more than ever. You don’t have to worry about anyone not being on Kob’s side. I’ve been on Kob’s side for a long time. That’s what I remember, all encompassing our relationship. It’s deeper than basketball.”

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