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When will the Bulls star return to the NBA?

When will the Bulls star return to the NBA?
Posted on | Posted on angela

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Lonzo Ball became a sensation in college, the first in a line of basketball-playing brothers with an ever-present father who doubled as their hype man. But it has been more than 1,000 days since Ball played in an NBA game, his promising career cut short by a left knee injury. Until now, perhaps.

According to ESPN, Ball is expected to make his 2024 preseason debut when the Chicago Bulls host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He last appeared in an NBA game for the Bulls on January 14, 2022, a 138-86 loss to the Golden State Warriors, in which the health of Zach LaVine was initially a priority after he experienced knee discomfort in the first quarter . Ball actually played almost 24 minutes and scored 15 points in a matchup of teams that had the best records in the Eastern and Western Conferences at the time.

Three surgeries and nearly three years later, Ball is entering the final year of his four-year, $85 million contract after playing in just 35 regular-season games for the Bulls. But he's also on track for a history-making comeback attempt that could be one of the more compelling storylines of this NBA season.

No NBA player has ever returned to play after a cartilage transplant, which Ball resorted to in March 2023 after still experiencing pain during basketball activities following two previous procedures on his left knee. To prepare for his comeback attempt, here's a timeline of everything Ball endured during this 33-month journey from a knee injury that didn't seem that serious at first:

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Lonzo Ball injury update

ESPN reported that Monday Ball will return to the court for the Chicago Bulls in their preseason home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He did not play in the Bulls' first two preseason games. Coach Billy Donovan cited a bout of COVID that limited his workouts before training camp and precautions for left knee pain. Ball said on his podcast last week that he expects to play in two of the team's final three preseason games. When he plays on Wednesday, it will have been 1,006 days since his last NBA game.

Lonzo Ball knee injury timeline

  • January 15, 2022: The Bulls have ruled Ball out of their game at the Boston Celtics due to “left knee pain.”
  • January 20, 2022: The Bulls announced that Ball will “undergo arthroscopic left knee surgery and is expected to return in 6 to 8 weeks” due to a torn meniscus and a bone bruise in his left knee.
  • April 6, 2022: The Bulls announced that Ball would not return for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. The team said Ball “continues to experience pain during vigorous physical activity. He will continue daily treatment and rehabilitation in preparation for the 2022-23 season.”
  • September 21, 2022: The Bulls announced that Ball would undergo further surgery on his injured left knee, called arthroscopic debridement, and would miss the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. The team said Ball will be reevaluated in 4 to 6 weeks after feeling unwell while increasing his activities. The Bulls rested him for 10 days in hopes of resolving the issues, but Ball said he felt pain again when he began preparing for the game.

  • September 27, 2022: Ball admitted to reporters, “I still can’t play basketball. I can't run or jump.” He pointed out that the arthroscopic debridement is the third surgery on his left knee as he also underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in 2018. “When my knee is bent, the range is between about 30 and 60 degrees and I have no effort. And I can't catch myself,” Ball described his condition at the time. “Unless I can do these things, I can’t play. I did rehab. Things got better. But it wasn't to the point where I could go out and actually run or jump at top speed. Therefore, surgery was the next step. … I don’t really want to rush anything.”
  • February 21, 2023: The Bulls have officially shut down Ball for the 2022-23 season after he was unable to participate in basketball activities following his second surgery. “Although Ball has made significant gains in strength and function over the past few months, he continues to experience performance-limiting discomfort when participating in high-level basketball activities,” said Arturas Karnisovas, executive vice president of basketball operations for the Bulls, in a team statement. “Considering the period of time required to achieve the fitness required to return to play and the current phase of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on resolving his ailments and a full return for the 2023/24 season.”
  • March 16, 2023: The Bulls announced that Ball would undergo a cartilage transplant to his left knee and would be out indefinitely. The procedure, Ball later explained, involved him receiving a new meniscus from a donor. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said on March 20 after the cartilage transplant was completed: “I know that Lonzo made the decision that was closest to his heart based solely on the information he was able to gather from various doctors. “It was the best one Chance to get him back on the pitch. We all understand that this will be a tough battle for him, but I know he will do everything in his rehab to get back on the field.”
  • June 23, 2023: The Bulls announced they expect Ball to miss the entire 2023-24 season. “Everything is going well,” Karnisovas told reporters. “Going into the offseason, I think we're assuming he won't come back next season and will continue his recovery. If he comes back that would be great, but we’ll just deal with this offseason and prepare for the season where he won’t be back.”
  • August 22, 2023: Ball posted a video In response to Stephen A. Smith's comments on ESPN's “First Take,” he stated, “I'm coming back.” Smith previously said on television, “Something went wrong with the procedures he did. I don't think he will ever be the same again based on what we see, hear and read. I heard that it is so.” He even found it difficult to get up from a sitting position.
  • December 28, 2023: Billy Donovan told reporters that Ball is expected to walk again in January and expressed optimism about the success of Ball's recent surgery. “The pain he was in was eliminated,” Donovan said.
  • March 9, 2024: Donovan told reporters that Ball had begun cutting, jumping and sprinting in controlled, non-contact situations. A week earlier, a video appeared on social media of Ball conducting a basketball practice. NBC Sports Chicago reported that Ball was cleared for “advanced rehab activities” two days later. “Some of the training sessions have been really positive and he has made progress,” Donovan said. “He reacted well. Among other things, the doctors showed me that he looks good when he's moving. Personally, I'm just really happy for him about his progress. He worked hard to put himself in that position. And hopefully he can continue to make progress.”
  • July 26, 2024: Ball announced on his What an Experience podcast that he would be cleared to participate in 5-on-5 workouts in August.
  • August 7, 2024: The Bulls confirmed that Ball had begun playing in full-contact 5-on-5 scrimmages
  • September 30, 2024: Karnisovas was asked by the Bulls media if Ball would be ready for Opening Night this season. “That’s the plan,” Chicago’s executive vice president of basketball operations responded. “When we go to camp, we have to train him slowly. He's already played 5-on-5, but we haven't seen him go through camp yet, so there.” “It's going to be a lot of learning,” Karnisovas said. “It's going to take some time.” Ball echoed that sentiment, telling reporters at the event that he was ready to play in the first game of the regular season. Both Ball and the team noted that he would be placed on a minutes restriction and would not initially play on consecutive nights. “I pretty much have a brand new knee, so it's always going to be a little different than what God gave me. “First of all,” Ball said. “But I feel good. I feel healthy enough to play. That’s all that really matters, just getting by all year and being available… I think I’ll definitely be ready for the first game.”
  • Oct 11, 2024: Ball said on his podcast that he expects to play in two of the Bulls' final three preseason games. Chicago plays at the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday before wrapping up its preseason this week with home games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

Follow USA TODAY Network sports reporter Mark Giannotto on social media @mgiannotto and email him at [email protected]

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