Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is finally back on the court after three knee surgeries and more than two years away from the game.
Ball participated in his first NBA game in more than two years on Wednesday night as the Bulls hosted a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but this was his first game since Jan. 14, 2022. He received a huge ovation from the match venue. As the United Center crowd gathered, he almost immediately hit a corner 3-pointer.
Lonzo Ball plays in his first NBA game in over two years and gets a big ovation from Bulls fans 👏
Welcome back, Zo!pic.twitter.com/yVJ×sI4rXl
— Clutch Points (@ClutchPoints) October 17, 2024
Ball had 10 points, one assist, and one rebound. He made 4 of 6 field goals and played just 15 minutes. This was one run less than the time limit for the match.
“It was long, it was really long,” Ball said Wednesday of the team’s post-shootaround recovery, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “But looking back, it went a lot faster than I expected. …When they told me I had 18 months left to recover (after my third surgery), it sounded crazy at that moment, but… , now I’m here, everything is behind me.
Ball went down with a torn meniscus in his left knee in January 2022 and underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair it. Shortly after, however, he began experiencing discomfort in his knee and ended up needing another surgery that fall. The Bulls had hoped to have him back by the end of the 2022-23 season, but the Bulls waived him in February 2023. In the end, he underwent a third surgery in March of the same year, which kept him out of action for the entirety of last season.
Over the past three years, Ball has appeared in just 35 games total.
While repeated setbacks and surgeries may make some people want to step away from the sport completely, Ball believes he can still help the Bulls win. The former No. 2 overall draft pick averaged career-highs 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020-21, his final full season.
“It’s not the same body as it was the first time,” Ball said. “But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That’s why I’m still trying to play.”
It’s unclear how the Bulls will utilize Ball this season, especially early on when he’s getting back into shape. He also struggled with knee pain throughout the preseason. He said it was expected, but it will be something both he and the Bulls will have to monitor throughout the season.
“We’re handling it well now, but I think things will change throughout the year,” he said. “Every day is a different challenge and you have to overcome it.”
He may not be the same player he once was, but Ball is finally playing basketball again. Whatever happens with the rest of his career, this was the first step.
