CHICAGO — When that moment finally came, after multiple knee surgeries and one grueling rehabilitation, Lonzo Ball raised his right arm and blew a kiss to the cheering crowd.
When the following announcement sounded in the stadium, fans stood up. “Check out the Chicago Bulls! No. 2! Lonzo Ball!”
It was a moment nearly three years in the making.
Ball made his long-awaited return Wednesday night, scoring 10 points in 15 minutes in the Bulls’ preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The point guard also recorded an assist, a steal and a block in his first appearance since Jan. 14, 2022.
“It felt a lot better playing than watching, I’ll tell you that much,” he said. “I can’t really describe in words how I felt there.”
Ball, who turns 27 on Oct. 27, had cartilage and meniscus transplants in his left knee last year after several surgeries failed to fix the injury. He thought he was “moving great” and his knee was giving him “no problems at all.”
Ball drew loud applause as he replaced Josh Giddey after a timeout midway through the first quarter. It didn’t take long for Ball to make an impact. He received a feed from Nikola Vucevic, who was driving, with 5 minutes and 25 seconds left in the first half and hit a 3-pointer from the left corner, drawing another loud cheer from the crowd.
“I’m truly blessed,” Ball said. “Not only me, but there were many people who helped me get to this point. To see the crowds and all the love I get from the city, there’s no way I can replicate that. And it’s real.”
Several players expressed their support and respect for Ball during the team’s postgame meeting. Coby White presented a game ball and LaVine handed Ball a jersey that appeared to be signed by the team.
The Bulls have one more game against Cleveland on Friday before opening the season at New Orleans on Oct. 23. Ball said he would “definitely” play against the Cavaliers. He will begin the season with a one-minute limit and will not play back-to-back games.
The Bulls limited the ball to 16 minutes against Minnesota. They scheduled two halves of roughly four minutes each. But after playing nearly six minutes in the third quarter, he sat out the rest.
“I give him a lot of credit,” coach Billy Donovan said. “A lot has probably happened in the two and a half years since I came out and came back. You are playing your first game. “I know it’s not the regular season yet, but to be in an NBA game, I know he’s put in a lot of work to prepare for this moment.”
The Bulls are still trying to figure out how much activity is causing Ball’s pain, as well as how the knee reacts to gameplay. Chicago also has a crowd in the backcourt and Gidey is in the mix after Cobe White was traded from Oklahoma City following his breakout season.
Ball’s tenure in Chicago is off to a good start after he signed a sign-and-trade agreement with New Orleans ahead of the 2021-22 season. He averaged 13 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 42.3% from 3-point range over 35 games before being derailed.
The Bulls initially thought Ball had suffered a minor meniscus injury. But it turned out to be much more serious.
Ball underwent cartilage transplant surgery in March 2023. This was my third knee surgery in just over a year. He announced on his podcast last May that the scope of the surgery had expanded.
Ball said he got a new meniscus to use for the cartilage transplant. He also underwent bone allograft surgery, in which the replacement bone came from another person. Ball spoke about the issue he suffered when he suffered a torn meniscus while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
Now – finally – he’s playing again. Did he ever doubt this day would come?
“To be honest, no. I had a goal to get back on the court. I know it was a long journey and a process, but it all paid off because this is what I was looking forward to.” . “I’m happy that now I can finally get out there and do what I love.”
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