Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball made his long-anticipated return to basketball on Wednesday night in a 125-123 preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was Ball’s first NBA game since January 2022.
Ball, coming off multiple knee surgeries, played on a minutes restriction and clocked in 15 minutes while doing a little bit of everything. He finished the game with 10 points while adding one assist, one rebound, one steal, and one block.
The Timberwolves game marked the end of Ball’s long return to recovery. He initially suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee in January 2022 and underwent surgery that was supposed to rule him out for about six weeks.
However, Ball endured multiple setbacks since then and had two more surgeries on the same knee, including a meniscus transplant. At one point, it even seemed that Ball might not play in the NBA ever again.
Fortunately, Ball ended up making a full recovery and is now ready to resume his career.
“Felt a lot better playing than watching,” Ball said after the game. “I couldn’t even put into words how it felt being out there. … It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”
According to Bulls’ head coach Billy Donovan, Ball will continue to have a light practice regime and be on minute restrictions moving forward as the doctors monitor how his knee reacts to stress. The former second-overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft is expected to make his next appearance in the preseason finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
