Kyrie Irving, entering his 15th NBA season, made clear during the Dallas Mavericks’ media day on Monday that his rehabilitation from March ACL surgery is unfolding as expected — not faster, not slower.

“I’m right on schedule,” Irving said.

At 33 and coming off his fourth knee surgery, Irving acknowledged the recovery process is demanding. But he pushed back against assumptions fueled by social media clips showing him shooting or jogging.

“There’s consistency here,” he said. “It’s been up and down emotionally just because of the good days where you make progress and some of the other days when you want to push your body to the limit, but you can’t. For me, the best advice I got was to take your time. No timeline is going to be perfect. Don’t compare it to anyone else. Just enjoy the process.”

Despite Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison using verbaitim phrasing of "ahead of schedule" to describe Irving's status during NBA Summer League, head coach Jason Kidd echoed the sentiment, calling out journalists for "bad reporting."

“When we do see Kai shooting, can we just refrain from saying ‘ahead of schedule.’ That’s bad reporting,” Kidd said. “He’s doing quite well, as we can see. But he’s not ahead of schedule. That’s unfair to him and to the Mavs because it’s not true.”

Irving said he has drawn strength from connecting with other athletes dealing with similar injuries. While acknowledging the temptation to think of “alien-like” recoveries, he stressed the importance of patience.

The injury occurred on March 3 against the Sacramento Kings, a moment he admitted took time to accept. He described replaying the scene in his head before eventually moving past it.

“Watching it happen, that play, at first it was tough,” Irving said. “And maybe after a week, it lessened in terms of the heartbreak. Where we were in the season was not ideal. We were dealing with a very public trade. A lot of people wanted to see us fail.”

The setback carried added weight as Irving entered free agency. He signed a three-year, $119 million contract, a reduction from the $43 million he would have made by exercising his player option.

“I felt like I was top 15 in the world, and there’s no doubt about it,” Irving said. “So being at that level and then having to go into negotiations, that’s not the ideal position. But I took it in stride.”

Irving said he is thankful the deal allowed Dallas to add depth, particularly D’Angelo Russell, who will handle backcourt duties until he returns.

“I’m grateful I did what I did because now we have the team and the depth,” he said. “I’d rather have that than everything being on my shoulders or AD’s shoulders or Cooper’s shoulders.”

Before the injury, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season. His goal is not simply to regain that form but to surpass it.

“I felt like I was in a great rhythm before I got injured, able to play 40-plus minutes a night, no problem,” he said. “It’s more the mental approach I’m trying to get back to and then physically I feel like my talent and skill will catch up over time as I continue to play against the best players in the world.”

Though retirement thoughts occasionally creep in, Irving insisted his focus remains on extending his career and competing at the highest level.

“I know there is going to be a time when I have to look myself in the mirror and be honest,” he said. “Now is not that time. It’s a few years away.”

For now, he said his attention is firmly fixed on one thing.

“I know I’m singularly focused on winning championships and being the best I can be and putting my best foot forward not only for our team, but for our fans and community.”

And by his account, the recovery is right on schedule.