While Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has already ruled out playing this season, his second straight season missed with a knee injury, the UCLA alum still plans to play basketball again at some point.
“I definitely plan on playing again,” Ball said Monday via ESPN. “After surgery three, I feel like it’s going well so far — no setbacks. So for me, it’s just keep my head up, just keep doing the work.”
Initially drafted by the Lakers, Ball has struggled with knee issues throughout his short career. In January 2022, he tore his meniscus for the second time, with the other coming while still with the Lakers. He underwent surgery shortly after the second tear and was only expected to miss six weeks, but he experienced pain during the rehab process and was shut down for the rest of the season, his first with Chicago.
Ball had a career year with his new team before the injury, averaging 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game with Chicago, who was leading the Eastern Conference when the guard got hurt.
His rehab in the offseason did not go any better, and he was ultimately ruled out for the 2022-23 season. After getting a cartilage transplant in March 2023, Ball was also ruled out for the entire 2023-24 season.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Ball has remained optimistic, saying, “I couldn’t control getting hurt or not getting hurt or anything like that; it’s just something that happened to me, part of my career. I try to stay positive. I don’t look at the negatives. I try to think about what I can do to get better, and that’s how I wake up every day and live.”
[ESPN]
