LOS ANGELES – Kyrie Irving needed a moment of peace long before the spectacle of Tuesday’s festivities began. The Dallas Mavericks star paid a visit to see the newest statue commemorating the legacy of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant hours before his team suffered a 107-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving discussed the emotions of visiting the Gianna and Kobe Bryant statue before playing the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was the first time he visited the Kobe and Gigi Bryant statues outside Crypto Arena. Irving made the visit during pregame. "It meant everything to me. I needed that before game," Irving said. "I don't know if anybody has dealt with that avoiding feeling,

The social media fans put in praise for Kyrie Irving as he kept shooting free throws despite knee injury and compared him to Kobe Bryant.

Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the first quarter of the Sacramento Kings–Dallas Mavericks game.

Kyrie Irving reflects on his emotional visit to the Kobe and Gianna Bryant statue, highlighting his connection to their legacy and the impact on his basketball journey.

The Dallas Mavericks cannot afford any more injuries, let alone to a player as significant as Kyrie Irving, so they're going to have to hold their breath and hope that the knee injury that Irving suffered in Monday night's loss to the Kings isn't as bad as it looked.