After enduring several knee surgeries and a tough rehabilitation process, Lonzo Ball finally made his long-awaited return, raising his right arm and blowing a kiss to the enthusiastic crowd. Fans stood and cheered as the announcement rang out in the arena: “Checking in for the Chicago Bulls! No. 2! Lonzo Ball!” This moment had been nearly three years in the making. In his first game back, Ball scored 10 points in 15 minutes during the Bulls’ 125-123 preseason win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. He also contributed one assist, one steal, and one block in his first appearance since January 14, 2022. “It felt a lot better playing than watching, I’ll say that much,” he remarked. “Words can hardly express how I felt out there.” The 27-year-old Ball underwent a cartilage and meniscus transplant in his left knee after multiple unsuccessful procedures. He felt like he was “moving great” and reported no issues with his knee.
When he came off the bench for Josh Giddey during a timeout in the first quarter, the crowd erupted in cheers. Ball quickly made an impact, sinking a 3-pointer from the left corner, assisted by a driving Nikola Vucevic, which drew another loud reaction from the audience. “Just blessed, man,” said Ball. “A lot of people helped me get here, not just me. Seeing the crowd and feeling all the love from the city is something you can’t replicate. It’s genuine.” In the postgame meeting, several teammates voiced their support for Ball. Coby White presented him with the game ball, and LaVine handed him a team-signed jersey. The Bulls have one final exhibition game against Cleveland on Friday before starting the season at New Orleans on October 23. Ball confirmed he will “for sure” play against the Cavaliers, but he will begin the season with a minutes restriction and will not participate in consecutive games. Against Minnesota, Ball was on a 16-minute limit, with plans for him to play two approximately four-minute stretches per half. He ended up playing nearly six minutes in the third quarter before sitting out the rest of the game.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Coach Billy Donovan remarked. “Coming back after 2.5 years is a huge challenge, especially for his first game. I know it’s just preseason, but for him to step back onto an NBA court shows how much work he’s put in to prepare for this moment.” The Bulls are still figuring out how much activity Ball can handle without experiencing soreness, as well as how his knee will respond during actual games. The backcourt is also crowded, with Coby White coming off a strong season and Josh Giddey joining the team after a trade from Oklahoma City. Ball began his time with the Bulls positively, following a sign-and-trade with New Orleans before the 2021-22 season. He averaged 13 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 42.3% from three-point range over 35 games before his injury issues arose.
Initially, the Bulls believed Ball had a minor meniscus injury, but it turned out to be much more serious. In March 2023, he underwent a cartilage transplant—his third knee surgery in just over a year. Ball disclosed on his podcast last May that the surgery was more invasive than initially thought. He mentioned receiving a new meniscus along with the cartilage transplant and also had a bone allograft, which involves using replacement bone from a donor. Ball noted that the problems began when he tore his meniscus while with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Now, he’s finally back on the court. Did he ever question whether this day would arrive? “Not really, to be honest,” he responded. “I had a goal to get back out there. I knew it would be a long journey, but it’s all worth it because this is what I wanted. I’m just happy it’s finally happening, and I can do what I love again.”
Leave a Reply