Kyrie Irving doing fine after offseason hand surgery

In an odd way, Kyrie Irving said one of the best things that happened to him this summer was fracturing his left hand. Why?

“I think breaking my hand gave me a much-needed rest time,” the Dallas Mavericks’ guard said during Monday’s Media Day. “Unfortunate circumstances, but also I think it was much-needed in terms of just how to slow down after a long season like we had.”

The Boston Celtics completed their five-game series win over the Mavs in the NBA Finals on June 17. The loss left Irving so rattled that he said: “I was playing three days after we lost in the Finals just because I didn’t know how to transition out of that competitive space.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to be at that top level, and it hurt a lot (to lose). It was disappointing, and all I knew was to go to the gym and get some work in.”

While the fractured hand — which occurred in July — and rehab slowed Irving down, it also afforded him the chance to get in some more time with his family. And they did their part in getting out and seeing what the world has to offer.

“This summer I got a chance to travel with my family to Italy, to Egypt, to Greece, then I finished my summer to Thailand and to China,” Irving said. “I got a chance to experience that with my family and my ANTA (shoe) team, and other brands that I work with and other great partners.

“I was climbing in the pyramids with my kids, my two boys. So, to have a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old in the pyramids and we’re climbing down a couple of hundred feet, we just took in those moments as much as we could. Yes, they’re aware of what’s going on, but I know that it’ll make more sense as they get older. So, I’m glad that we can create those memories now.”

For Irving, indeed, it was a different type of summer. He said, because of mitigating circumstances, this is his first time taking a summer vacation since 2018.

“Every summer has felt like rehab or getting ready for the season or the season’s starting around the corner,” Irving said. “So, I’m grateful that I was able to do that.”

Irving said his hand is a lot better as the Mavs prepare to open training camp Tuesday in Las Vegas on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

“It took me about eight weeks to heal from that,” he said. “So, from about July or so — the beginning of July until now — I’ve just been trying to get back and get into the swing and rhythm of basketball, and also take more time to rest and recover. The summers are always filled with obligations and responsibilities.”

Part of Irving’s summer consisted of trying to convince Golden State Warriors free agent guard Klay Thompson to sign with the Mavs. Thompson eventually signed a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavs, who now have a formidable Big 3 that consist of Luka Doncic, Irving and Thompson.

“We’re starting day one together, which I’m grateful for,” Irving said. “But the rhythm that we’re going to need in order to beat the best of the best is going to have to be at a different level than it was last year.

“But I feel like we all have great attitudes toward one another in terms of our skill set and how great we are.”

In pickup games, Irving said Thompson has already been a huge hit with his teammates.

“Watching guys’ faces light up when Klay hits a shot, whether it be a difficult shot for most of us, it looks easy for him. When you’re around someone that’s that special at a craft and a skill set, it’s nothing like asking that person what makes him great and how does he continue to stay motivated at what he does.

“And I feel like the same thing for Luka and the same thing for myself. We all are curious about the game and how we can continue to get better. But also, we’re very selfless in our approach. We want to see each other do well and ultimately win basketball games for the team.”

The addition of Thompson, Irving insists, should make the Mavs more difficult to defend.

“I know a lot of pressure and eyes are going to be on me and Klay and Luka, but for us we’ve done a great job even just from afar just distributing that responsibility,” Irving said. “Because I’m going to be needed in different situations, he’s going to be needed in different situations – me and Klay – and Luka is going to be needed to be in different situations. I think we all bring a different expertise.

“Now when you mesh that all together, I think the season will be great for us to translate that into wins. And also, being able to respond to losses and difficult times. It’s not going to be a perfect season. It’s not going to be pretty all the time. But we just have to stay poised and continue to trust one another and just have fun. We’re going after something bigger than ourselves.”

In his first full season with the Mavs last year, Irving averaged 25.6 points, five rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range. The eight-time All-Star is now 32 years old and is eager to start the next chapter of his life, which consists of making this Big 3 become a smashing success.

“It’s all about lessons that I’ve been able to learn since being in the NBA,” Irving said. “Being in my 14^th year, I really am an old head now. Being 14 years in any business when you started day one, you just try to find that motivation of refreshing mentality.

“You start with a new vibe, and also be able to grow with the people that you were with in the past year and continue to challenge each other in a healthy way and love on each other. Anything is possible from there. We do have some carryover from last year (and) some new faces. But I feel like the culture being built here, especially by our upper management, has done amazing things for us as players to be ourselves and continue being the best version of ourselves on the court.”

Irving also did some amazing things off the court this past summer when he signed his dad – Drederick Irving – to a signature shoe deal with the Chinese sportswear company, ANTA.

“I was scared to sign my dad as a signature athlete initially because I wasn’t sure about the responses,” Irving said. “And then I thought about the responses, and I just stopped caring at that moment because of how elated I was to be able to sign my dad.

“To see him step into a new position, to understand and emphasize with what I’ve had to deal with being a signature athlete since I was 22 years old, he had to do photo shoots, he had to be on the road with me, he had to do everything that he had prepared me for. So it was interesting to see the roles reversed and to see him be proud of signing autographs for fans, being able to honor his late wife – my mom. So it’s just all about us turning our struggle into our strength and being proud of our story and where we come from. To pay that forward is amazing, and I don’t take it for granted.”

Irving also doesn’t take for granted that just because the Mavs added Thompson to a quality team that was within three wins of winning the NBA title last season, that doesn’t necessarily means they’re going to win the NBA championship this season.

“We all preach championships in here, but there’s only going to be a few people that are going to believe in that,” Irving said. “And that’s just the real of it.

“Us sitting up here, all the guys in the locker room, everyone that’s a part of our staff and the organization that has that unwavering belief, we need to continue to build on those relationships, and everything else is pretty much a distraction. I’m excited to get started with our veteran group and the few young guys that we have on this championship run.”

X: @DwainPrice