It has been over two years since fans have gotten the chance to see Chicago Bulls star point guard Lonzo Ball on the court. But luckily, according to Ball, he may be set to make his long-awaited return next season.
Ball once looked like an up-and-coming star in the league. In the 2021-22 season, the last time he saw the court in the NBA, Ball completely transformed his game, shooting a career-high 42 percent on three-point attempts.
When you pair that shooting ability with Ball’s excellent skills on defense, you have a real difference-maker on your hands.
But missing the last two seasons due to a lingering knee injury that has resulted in three surgeries is obviously extremely concerning for any player. Over the past two years, there have been real concerns that Ball may never be able to play in the NBA again at just the age of 26.
Fortunately, according to Ball, that will not be the case. On his podcast, the What An Experience podcast, Ball shared that he had a full meniscus transplant on his left knee, an extremely rare procedure that appears to have worked for him.
“To make a long story short, ultimately, it started with a meniscus tear,” Ball said. “It basically started on the Lakers, when I tore it the first time. I tore it a couple more times to a point to where there was no more — basically, not much meniscus left, and bone-on-bone was rubbing. So the cartilage was gone and the bone was messed up, so I had to get actually a new meniscus from a donor. I had to get a bone allograft and I had to get some new cartilage put in as well.”
When asked by his co-hosts on the podcast whether he would be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season, he said that he “firmly believes” that he will be.
“Yes, I firmly believe that,” Ball said. “That’s the plan that I’m on, and I haven’t had any setbacks, so I expect to play the first game.”
Only time will tell whether Ball is indeed able to get back on the court for the start of the 2024-25 season. But if he can, it should provide a huge boost to a Chicago Bulls team that desperately needs it off of two consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.