Sunday, scoring 12 points in a 108-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in his NBA season debut.
Irving hadn't played since breaking his left kneecap in the opening game of last season's NBA Finals, an injury quickly followed by surgery in June.
Irving missed his first five shots, but made four of five in one stretch and finished with an even dozen in 17 minutes on the floor.
"Kind of been a long, long road, but finally getting out there with my teammates was a pleasure," said Irving, who acknowledged a pre-game ovation from fans with a wave.
"It feels good, just getting this one out of the way," admitted Irving, who will now face the Golden State Warriors in a Christmas Day Finals re-match on Friday.
"Honestly, for me it was just about getting back when I got the clearance from my doctors, so, whether that be at Christmas or before Christmas, I was going to take their word and trust them."
Cavs superstar LeBron James scored 23 points and played a season-low 26 minutes against league doormats Philadelphia. Aussie guard Matthew Dellavedova contributed 20 points off the bench, including four three-pointers -- missing career highs on each by one.
The Sixers, meanwhile, dropped their 10th straight game since posting their lone win of the season.
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