Harden and Irving for Team USA
U.S. players James Harden (L) and Kyrie Irving celebrate as U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski claps nearby after winning their Basketball World Cup final game against Serbia in Madrid September 14, 2014. Reuters

The Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James can now breathe a sigh of relief after Kyrie Irving himself announced that his latest injury is not serious although he’s set to miss the next preseason games as a precautionary measure.

The four-year guard posted the update on his Twitter account saying that it’s just an ankle sprain:

Just a sprained ankle from practice, in a walking boot for precautionary reasons. Not that serious, I'm all good.

— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) October 8, 2014

The 22-year-old Irving suffered the injury during a Cavaliers practice held before they left for Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Cleveland will meet bitter rivals Miami Heat, James’ jilted team in the offseason, in the South American nation in a preseason match-up on Saturday.

X-rays taken on Irving’s ankle came back negative according to multiple reports but the star point guard’s status is listed as day-to-day and traveled with the team to Brazil.

The Cavaliers are 1-0 so far in the 2014 preseason after they beat European team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, 107-80 in Cleveland last Sunday. Irving led the team in scoring with 16 points and also added 5 assists and 2 steals.

Irving has a spate of injuries in his three-year NBA career. He has never completed an NBA season be it in the shortened 66-game 2011-12 season when he played just 51 games. He missed 23 games in 2012-2013 and then another 11 in the 2013-2014 NBA Seasons.

Irving averaged 20.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season with the Cavs.

Irving was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the recent 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball in Spain where Team USA dominated the competition to win the gold medal. Irving averaged 12.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 3.6 APG but exploded in the championship match against Serbia with 26 points on 6-of-6 shooting from behind the arc.

Even with the new team and roster, the Cavaliers are considered one of the favourites to win the NBA title in the upcoming NBA season. An injury to one of their key guys, particularly LeBron James, Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving could prove costly for their chance at a ring.

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