Real Madrid legend laments Kyrie Irving’s gruesome knee injury

Real Madrid soccer legend Toni Kroos reacts to Kyrie Irving's serious left knee sprain during the Mavericks' game against the Kings.

Real Madrid legend laments Kyrie Irving’s gruesome knee injury

Toni Kroos reacts to Kyrie Irving's heartbreaking injury

In today’s matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings, fans at the American Airlines Center witnessed another unfortunate loss. The Mavericks were already reeling from a number of woes, from losing Luka Doncic to dealing with an injury-ridden roster. And on Monday night, they were delivered their final blow in the form of a non-contact knee injury to their veteran, Kyrie Irving.

Since then, the Dallas fans have been crying their eyes out over such a dreadful season this year after making it to the NBA Finals last season. Prayers have been pouring in from all the directions for the former champion. Among them, was Real Madrid’s legendary midfielder, Toni Kroos, who also reacted to the grim news with a bunch of crying emojis.

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Come on @Kyrie Irving.

Toni Kroos tweeted

The 35-year-old soccer player retired from club and international football last year after the UEFA Euro 2024. Since then, it seems like he has taken a liking to the NBA—and the Dallas Mavericks, to be precise—due to his links with its former face of the franchise, Luka Doncic. Though they play different sports, Luka and Toni both represented Real Madrid.

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During the first quarter of the game, Uncle Drew stepped on Jonas Valanciunas’ foot while driving to the bucket. This caused his left knee to hyperextend, leading to a left knee sprain. This left Irving laying on the floor in palpable pain and had to be assisted off the court by Anthony Davis and a staff member. However, being a true Kobe Bryant mentee, he came back just to shoot both free throws—a moment reminiscent of Mamba’s toughness.

Ex-Real Madrid takes a playful swipe at Doncic’s Lakers decision

This season’s most surprising sports trade was the three-team deal that landed Luka Doncic in Los Angeles and AD in Dallas. So, when the Slovenian was set to match up against his former squad for the first time as a Laker last month, his friend and admirer, ex-soccer star Toni Kroos, flew to Crypto.com Arena to witness it firsthand.

After the game, Kroos took pictures with the Slovenian sensation and took friendly jabs at Luka Magic in his Instagram post. He wrote, “Still prefer to see you in a blue shirt @lukadoncic…Good to see you mate. Do your thing 🎩”. To this the 26-year-old replied, “I also preferred to see you in white”, referring to his recent retirement from Real Madrid in 2024.

Toni Kroos and Luka Doncic’s exchange reflects their camaraderie and deep bond that stems from Real Madrid, where Kroos played soccer and Doncic played basketball before transitioning to the NBA. And with Kroos winning six Champions League titles and Doncic securing a EuroLeague title—adds depth to their friendship.