1,006 days later, Lonzo Ball finally stepped unto an NBA court this Wednesday evening, as the United Center chanted his name with a standing ovation. As was entering the arena, he raised his hands and then placed his hand on his heart in recognition of all the Chicago fans that have supported him over these difficult two years and a half.
Even though he only played for 15 minutes, the point guard hit 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, and contributed to the Bulls 125-123 preseason win against the Timberwolves. The player had undergone three arthroscopic surgeries on his left knee, plus a double cartilage transplant last year.
“Felt a lot better playing than watching,” Lonzo shared with excitement once the matchup came to an end. “I couldn’t even put it into words how it felt being out there. … It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”
Lonzo Ball is officially back.
10 points | 4-6 FG | 2 threes | 15 minutes pic.twitter.com/CUaEx2mX3x
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2024
When asked about the recovery process, Ball even laughed in relief. “Long. Really long,” he shared. “But looking back on it, it went a lot faster than I thought. … Them telling me 18 more months recovery [after the third surgery], it sounds crazy in the moment, but now I’m here. It’s all behind me now.”
Earlier that day, he was jumping “full of joy” when his participation in that contest had been confirmed. “It’s not the same body I started off with,” Lonzo expressed after the shootaround. “But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That’s why I’m still trying to play.”
The star guard had only played one season with the Bulls before his injury, in which he averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 42% shooting in 35 matches. In his first game back, he helped out in every corner of the court, with 1 block, 1 steal, 1 assist and 1 rebound.
“I thought he looked great,” assured Chicago coach Billy Donovan. “There’s a lot of things he does in the game that he doesn’t really require anything with his knee or his body, he uses his brain so much. He moved really, really well.”
Lonzo revealed that he didn’t think about his knee during the entire 15 minutes that he got to play in the preseason game vs. Minnesota
One of the most important factors from his Wednesday night return, was the fact that Ball didn’t feel his knee whatsoever during his performances. “That’s a positive thing,” he said. “I didn’t feel it at all. I felt like I was moving great. So now it’s just about building, just continue to do it night and night out.”
Coach Donovan explained after the match that they would need to continue to monitor Lonzo just to see how his knee reacted to the intensity of an NBA clash. The tactician plans to play him once again in Friday’s preseason finale against the Cavaliers. “I think he’s going to need to play,” he said. “That’s kind of the normal NBA rhythm, playing every other day.”
The soon-to-be 27-year-old admitted that he always felt confident that he would someday return to the basketball courts, but knew he had to be patient and seek the best medical advice out there before moving forward.
“I think it’s the belief in myself — knowing what I was feeling, knowing that I was a good age to come back from it,” Ball acknowledged after more than two years of frustration. “I’m just trusting in the doctors and people around me.”
