Lonzo Ball hasn’t played NBA basketball in over two seasons, but now he may be just days away from making his long-awaited return.
According to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, the Chicago Bulls plan to bring Ball back this week, targeting Wednesday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as his debut. The Bulls also reportedly plan to have Ball play in one more preseason game before the regular season begins on Oct. 22.
Ball, who will turn 27 at the end of October, has missed more time with this left knee injury than anyone could have predicted. His last appearance in an NBA game was on January 14, 2022. He was diagnosed with a small meniscus tear a week later and had arthroscopic surgery shortly thereafter. His rehab seemed to be going well until he started running, and from there he started to feel discomfort in his knee and couldn’t go upstairs.
Months later the discomfort was still there, and by June the Bulls were reportedly concerned that Ball would not be ready for the start of the 2022-2023 season. Those concerns turned out to be well founded. Ball had a second arthroscopic surgery on his knee in September 2022, and just like the last time, his knee did not improve after the procedure. While the Bulls hoped Ball could play late in the 2022-2023 season, they shut him down in February 2023. Then Ball had a third knee surgery in March 2023, which ultimately cost him the entire 2023-2024 season. .
But now, after playing in just 35 games over the past three years, undergoing three knee surgeries and countless failed increases, Ball looks like he’s ready to go.
Well, almost ready to go Ball was dealing with some pain in his left knee over the weekend, but head coach Billy Donovan is motivated by how Ball looked on the court.
“He did really, really well,” Donovan said. “He was out there and he played. And he played effectively. I think his time is coming back.”
