Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is expected to make his return to the court Wednesday in a preseason game at the United Center against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Ball has not played an NBA game in more than 1,000 days after injuring his left knee on Jan. 14, 2022. He underwent three procedures since that initial injury, including a cartilage transplant on March 20, 2023.
Uncertainty has shrouded every step of Ball’s recovery since the injury occurred. Ball’s final two procedures — a cartilage transplant and a separate meniscus transplant — threw Ball’s future into completely unprecedented territory.
Cartilage transplants are rare in professional sports. The procedure is relatively new, designed as a step down from a full knee replacement to maintain the integrity of the knee joint. No NBA player has undergone a cartilage transplant and returned to the court.
Here’s how it all has played out for the Bulls point guard.
Jan. 14, 2022
Lonzo Ball suffers a meniscus tear against the Golden State Warriors.
Jan. 20, 2022
Bulls announce Ball will undergo surgery and anticipate a six- to eight-week recovery before he can return to the court.
Feb. 21, 2022
Ball posts a video on Instagram of himself dancing and playing with his daughter, which falsely appears to signal his increased mobility as he nears the end of the recovery window.
March 19, 2022
Coach Billy Donovan says Ball’s recovery is at a standstill, complicated by a bone bruise suffered before to the meniscus tear.
March 20, 2022
Donovan says Ball will stop attempting to run at full-speed for 10 days in an attempt to reduce knee swelling.
April 5, 2022
Ball continues to experience discomfort following the 10-day break, but Donovan says the team won’t shut him down.
April 6, 2022
The Bulls shut down Ball for the season. Donovan says the Bulls medical staff hasn’t suggested a second surgery.
July 12, 2022
Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas says Ball’s recovery is “not at the speed that we would like” but adds the Bulls hope he will be available for training camp.
Sept. 28, 2022
Ball undergoes an arthroscopic debridement in Los Angeles, forcing him to miss training camp and the opening weeks of the season. Bulls set a four- to six-week recovery window from the procedure, but Donovan cautions his recovery could take longer after 10 months away from the court.
Oct. 26, 2022
Ball is nearing reevaluation after the second surgery on his left knee, but Donovan said a date hasn’t been set for the next step in the point guard’s recovery.
Nov. 30, 2022
Nine weeks after his second knee procedure, Ball is still unable to run, jump or cut. He has returned to the weight room at the Advocate Center for moderate weightlifting and core exercises, but he hasn’t played basketball or run at full speed since January.
Jan. 28, 2023
The Bulls crept closer to shutting down Ball for a second straight season. If he can’t make a drastic improvement in the next three weeks before the All-Star break, coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls likely will sit down for a formal discussion on Ball’s season — and his future.
Feb. 2, 2023
“Lonzo is going to be fine,” Lavar Ball said during an interview with the “Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast hosted by Bulls TV analyst Stacey King and WLS-Ch. 7 anchor Mark Schanowski. “He’s only 25 years old. He’s going to get his stuff together and then he’ll be ready to play and do his thing again. People just got to stay off that and thinking ‘Oh, you’re going to come back tomorrow, or next week, or next month.’”
March 20, 2023
Donovan said Ball’s doctors were optimistic after the cartilage transplant in his left knee. But with no clear timetable or standard of success to look toward, the Bulls don’t know what to expect from the next stage of Ball’s recovery.
Dec. 28, 2023
Donovan said that Ball’s pain in his left knee “has been eliminated” and that the Bulls expect the guard to begin running again for the first time in his recovery by the end of January.
Ball had been able to progress to weight and mobility training along with stationary shooting in the six months since his procedure, but sprinting is a hurdle that he had not cleared yet in his recovery process.
Jan. 14, 2024
Two years have passed since Ball last played in an NBA game.
Jan. 26, 2024
Ball joins his teammates on the bench for a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles, where he has spent the majority of the last two years while rehabbing. However, he was not able to take part in a week of Los Angeles-based practices — during which the Bulls medical team initially hoped he could spend time around teammates, but not participate in drills — due to sickness.
March 9, 2024
Donovan said that Ball has returned to “running, cutting and jumping” for the first time since the initial injury, adding that the guard “looks good moving.” Ball does not report any pain or discomfort during this stage of returning to basketball activities.
August 2024
Ball begins five-on-five scrimmaging against NBA players, a crucial step in his return to play. While these scrimmages were not full speed, they did provide the guard with a first opportunity to test his knee against contact and in the full court. Trainer Chris Johnson uploaded several videos of Ball playing in friendly runs with fellow NBA players like Jaren Jackson Jr.
Latest look at Lonzo Ball's progress in 5v5 scrimmaging from a video posted by longtime NBA trainer Chris Johnson.
Open run featuring fellow NBA players like Jaren Jackson Jr. showcasing Lonzo's jumper and some of that passing vision Bulls fans became fond of back in 2021. pic.twitter.com/zFmkZ6oofo
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) August 21, 2024
Sept. 30, 2024
Ball said at Bulls media day that he expects to play in the season opener game on Oct. 23, a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Ball and Donovan specify that the guard will be severely limited in playing time throughout this season in an effort to preserve his long-term health.
Oct. 12, 2024
Ball is held out of training camp for a day due to knee soreness after sitting out of the first two preseason games as well. Donovan said he was not concerned about the brief pause preventing Ball from playing in at least one preseason game.
