Kyrie Irving looked up to the Jumbotron and saw a picture of himself with a congratulatory message: “Congrats Kyrie! 18,000 career points.” It was seconds before the third quarter began, but Irving smiled and crossed his fingers.

“I wish they would respect [Kyrie Irving] and give him a couple more calls under the basket. He’s a great finisher around the rim but he’s gonna end up getting hurt because of how many guys put him on the floor,” Gafford stated.

Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving eclipsed a career milestone in Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves when he scored the 18,000th point of his sterling NBA career.

As we mentioned earlier, Kai has already featured in the NBA All-Star game eight times in his career. While the Mavs guard is averaging 24.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, his inability to win games could dwindle his chances of making the 2025 NBA All-Star game.

I was about to drop a tear,” Irving said about his reaction to reaching the 18,000 mark. “Just the past few years, the games that I’ve missed, and the injuries, I feel like I should

Irving is listed on the injury report as he continues to deal with a lumbar back sprain. Meanwhile, Dereck Lively II (right ankle sprain), Luka Doncic (left calf strain) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) are all out for Friday's game. It is worth noting that Mavs head coach Jason Kidd previously said he expects Irving to play on Friday.