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Bulls’ Lonzo Ball ready to return to NBA after surgery and missing more than two seasons: ‘It’s all behind me now’

Bulls’ Lonzo Ball ready to return to NBA after surgery and missing more than two seasons: ‘It’s all behind me now’

After three knee surgeries and more than two years out of action, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is finally ready to return.

Ball will play his first NBA game in more than two years on Wednesday night when the Bulls host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason game. He will be limited to a maximum of 16 minutes in this game, his first since January 14, 2022.

“Long, really long,” Ball said, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier, of his recovery Wednesday following the team’s shootout. “But looking back, it happened a lot quicker than I thought. … They told me that recovery would take another 18 months [after my third surgery]It sounded crazy at the moment, but I’m here now. It’s all behind me now.”

Ball suffered a meniscus injury in his left knee in January 2022 and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair it. Soon afterwards, however, he felt discomfort in his knee and had to undergo another operation in the autumn. The Bulls had hoped he could return before the end of the 2022–23 season, but he was out of action in February 2023. He finally had to undergo a third operation in March of this year, which meant he was unable to play all of last season.

Overall, Ball has only played 35 games in the last three years.

Although the repeated setbacks and surgeries seem to be enough to make anyone give up the sport altogether, Ball believes he can still help the Bulls win. The former No. 2 overall draft pick averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2020-21 season, which was his last full season, the best of his career.

“It’s not the same body I started with,” Ball said. “But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That’s why I’m still trying to play.”

It’s unclear how the Bulls will use Ball this season, especially early on as he gets back into the swing of things. He also struggled with knee pain during pre-season training. While he said that’s to be expected, it’s something both he and the Bulls will have to keep an eye on throughout the season.

“We have it well under control at the moment, but I think that will change as the year goes on,” he said. “Every day will be a different challenge that we just have to overcome.”

He may not be the same player he once was, but Ball is finally playing basketball again. No matter what happens later in his career, this was the first step.