Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has opened up about the process of regaining his confidence and rhythm on the basketball court following an extended absence from NBA action.
The veteran guard acknowledged that returning to competitive basketball requires both physical preparation and mental adjustment, even for a player with his experience.
Irving explained that there are moments during games when he has to remind himself that he is back on the court, particularly when handling the ball and trying to rediscover his usual playing rhythm.
“There are definitely times when I’m out there on the floor where I gotta kinda pinch myself and realize I’m still back in the NBA game, still back in flow, and when I have the ball in my hands, just getting that rhythm … when you’re away from anything for a while, especially basketball … it’s like riding a bike.
“But we know it’s a little bit more complicated than that. So I’m just getting back the feel of the game, and just consistently speak positive affirmations to myself.”
