I'm back.
— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) December 19, 2015
Irving, who will work under a minutes restriction his first couple of games back, has been out of action since Game 1 of last year's NBA Finals following surgery to repair a fractured left kneecap. His initial recovery time was set at three-to-four months.
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Welcome back, Kyrie. pic.twitter.com/OUOhn1bEIo
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 19, 2015
A recent report by ESPN's Dave McMenamin had Irving pegged to return this past Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, although the three-time NBA All-Star eventually refuted the story, letting fans know that he would tell everyone directly when he was set to come back.
"I'm glad that I'm at this point," Irving said following practice on Saturday, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Chris Haynes. "I'll probably go home and let all of my emotions out, but I'm pretty F-ing excited to be out there with my brothers."
Related: Kyrie Irving's return should give LeBron some much-needed rest
The Cavaliers have held their own without Irving's services through the first 24 games of the season, compiling a 17-7 record for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The team's success eliminated any need to rush Irving back, even though the Duke product reportedly grew anxious to play.
"I've been ready to play, but bio-mechanically, we just wanted to make sure everything was good so I'm not putting myself at higher risk to go out there and get hurt again," Irving said.
The lowly 76ers (1-27) present a fairly easy challenge for Irving's first minutes back. However, head coach David Blatt previously insisted the quality of opponent wouldn't factor into when Irving would finally hit the hardwood.
"Not at all," Blatt said following Thursday's 104-100 win over the Thunder. "We have also have been pretty consistent about wanting to put Kyrie on the floor when he's ready, and we still have some steps to go through before we're confident that he's ready. So, when we get to that point, then we'll put him out there regardless of what team we're playing."
In 75 appearances last season, Irving averaged 21.7 points and 5.2 assists on 46.8 percent shooting, earning a spot on the All-NBA third team.
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