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The Dallas Mavericks will have another representative in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game after Anthony Davis went down with an injury. Guard Kyrie Irving has been named as AD's replacement on Team Shaq, the league announced on Monday afternoon. This is Kyrie's ninth career All-Star appearance.
It's a well-deserved call for the veteran, who has been key in the Mavs' success this season. He's averaging 24.1 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 2024-25 while shooting 40% from three-point land. Before Luka Doncic was traded, he played in just 22 games, which means a lot of the offensive load was on Irving's shoulders. He's a big reason they remain in the playoff mix with a 28-25 record.
The 32-year-old was last an All-Star in 2022-23 with the Mavericks shortly after they acquired him in a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Kyrie was also named the ASG MVP in 2013-14 when he was much younger.
The season outlook for Dallas has become very grim after trading their franchise star in Luka, who just led the organization to the NBA Finals alongside Kyrie Irving. Fans are coming for GM Nico Harrison's neck and appear to be even more upset after AD suffered an injury in his debut on Saturday.
While Davis is a phenomenal player, he's struggled mightily to stay healthy over the years. Mavs supporters' biggest fear has already come to light, with AD set to miss as much as a month due to an abdominal strain. With him on the shelf, it will be up to Kyrie to keep their playoff aspirations alive.
Dallas also needs the likes of PJ Washington and Klay Thompson to step up on a consistent basis. Doncic was such a massive part of this club and it's still hard to believe he's gone. Kyrie himself said it's a “grieving process” after losing his running mate.
Although making the ASG is great, Irving's primary focus will be getting the Mavericks into the postseason and hopefully, back to the Finals. That won't happen unless Davis is at 100%, though.
