Ball Eager to Return for Opener After Two Seasons Out; Admits He Will Have Playing Restrictions

On October 2, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined due to a severe knee injury for the past two seasons, hopes to make his return in the season opener.

The 26-year-old Ball last played for the Bulls on January 14, 2022. Since then, he has undergone multiple surgeries on his left knee, including a rare bicompartmental cartilage transplant. At media day, he said: “I feel great, happy to be here, very fortunate indeed. Looking forward to the start of training camp, and my goal is to be ready for opening night. Obviously, we can’t predict the future, but that’s my current plan. I think I’ll be ready for the first game.”

Ball underwent meniscus transplantation and osteochondral allograft transplantation last year to replace damaged joint cartilage. He said: “This is something nobody has really come back from, so I’ll be the first. We’ve had several conversations about it, and obviously, it’s not suitable for back-to-back games right now, there will definitely be a playing time restriction. While we haven’t set specific numbers yet, there definitely will be one.”

Ball joined the Bulls via trade from the New Orleans Pelicans before the 2021-22 season. In 35 starts, he averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Over his career with the Lakers (2017-19), Pelicans (2019-21), and Bulls, he has averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.

Ball stated: “I feel this is just my journey; it’s not like I wanted to get injured, but it happened. There are obstacles in life, and you have to try to overcome them. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, stay focused, keep grounded, and put in as much effort as I can.”