Lonzo Ball's Big Comeback After Over Two Years Away, in Detail

This could become one of the best stories of the season. After more than 1,000 days away and three knee surgeries, Lonzo Ball returned to the court for the Chicago Bulls in a preseason game on Wednesday night, being greeted with a standing ovation.

Ball had last played on January 14, 2022, after which he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, hoping to be back for that spring's playoffs. It didn't happen. He still felt pain in the knee, leading to a second surgery to try to fix the issue, but that also didn't work. In March 2023, Ball underwent cartilage replacement surgery — a procedure in which cartilage is grown outside the body and then inserted afterwards — an operation no player had returned from to the NBA until now.

Desired comeback

On Wednesday, Ball looked solid, finishing the night with 10 points. After the game, he mentioned that his knee felt good and he didn't feel any discomfort, as reported by The Athletic: "I didn't feel it at all. I felt like I was moving great. Now it's about continuing to build and doing it night after night."

Ball also stated his intention to play in Chicago's final preseason game on Friday. The season is long, and the Bulls will be cautious with him, avoiding playing him in back-to-back games. Nevertheless, if he can provide quality minutes as a backup behind Josh Giddey and Coby White, it will be a great boost for the team.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El regreso por todo lo alto de Lonzo Ball tras más de dos años fuera, al detalle