Boston Celtics fans who were holding out hope that Kyrie Irving could make a triumphant return at some point during the postseason are going to be disappointed, because the team has confirmed the star point guard is not coming back this year.
On Thursday, the Celtics announced that Irving will have two screws removed from his left knee on Saturday and miss 4-5 months. They expect him to be ready for the start of next season.
#NEBHInjuryReport Kyrie Irving will undergo a procedure this Saturday to remove two screws implanted in his patella from an injury suffered during the 2015 NBA Finals.
He is expected to make a full recovery in 4-5 months. https://t.co/WKQfPlUZ0u
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 5, 2018
Irving has been dealing with discomfort in his knee for quite some time, and it sounds like it stems from the screws he had inserted after fracturing his knee cap in 2015. There was initially hope that he would return during the playoffs after having what the Celtics called a “minimally invasive procedure,” but that is not going to happen.
An MRI Irving had last month came back clean, and his knee is said to be structurally sound. However, Danny Ainge has said the discomfort is something Irving could have to deal with for his entire career. It’s unclear if the surgery will change that.
