The Boston Celtics will be without Kyrie Irving throughout the postseason, that much is clear.
But while the Celtics fight for an NBA championship, Irving is battling in his own right.
Irving was deemed out for the remainder of the season due to a lingering knee issue, which has required two procedures within the past month. While the 26-year-old is less than two weeks removed from his latest surgery, he apparently already has made great strides in his recovery.
Boston fans got a glimpse of this Sunday afternoon during its Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in their first-round series. Irving was present at TD Garden for the game, where he wasn’t seen with crutches nor a noticeable limp. If you were surprised by Irving’s post-surgery progression, you’re not alone.
“The first time I saw him, when I saw him the other day he was walking around, I was surprised too,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said in a conference call Monday, per Celtics.com.
The pace of Irving’s recovery has impressed the medical staff as well.
“I had just got done literally 10 minutes ago talking to our training staff and the people who are working most closely with him, and they feel great about his early (progress) a week in, or whatever it is,” Stevens. “That’s exciting, that’s encouraging. Again, he’s going to make a full recovery. Now that the screws are out and now that you see his early progress, it is very good.”
All things considered, it sounds like Irving will be fully healed and ready to go for the 2018-19 campaign.
