Kyrie Irving is maintaining a positive outlook on his basketball future, but one former NFL player isn’t nearly as optimistic as the Boston Celtics point guard.
Irving’s first season with the Celtics will be cut short due to a lingering knee injury. The 26-year-old is set to undergo a procedure Saturday to remove two screws implanted in his left patella, which is expected to sideline him for four to five months.
While Irving expects big things to come upon his return to the court, the same can’t be said for Booger McFarland. During Friday’s edition of “Get Up!” on ESPN, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle explained why he believes Irving’s upcoming knee surgery could be the beginning of the end for the five-time All-Star.
“I’m looking big picture and I’m concerned about this basketball team,” McFarland said. “I’ve had that same screw in my knee, in my patella. I’ve had all those stitches and things like that — they’ve been taken out. Let me tell you: It’s never going to be the same. So Kyrie Irving will never, ever be the same. I’ve been there and done that.”
Although McFarland does have first-hand knowledge of Irving’s injury, it’s tough to totally compare his situation to that of Irving’s due to the difference of sport. The fact of the matter is, we won’t truly understand the effect the surgery has on Irving until he returns to action in the 2018-19 campaign.
