When the moment finally came, after many knee surgeries and a tough rehab, Lonzo Ball raised his right arm and blew a kiss to the cheering crowd.
Fans stood up as the announcement rang out in the arena: “Checking in for the Chicago Bulls! No. 2! Lonzo Ball!” This was a moment almost three years in the making.
Ball made his long-awaited return, scoring 10 points in 15 minutes during the Bulls’ 125-123 preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The point guard also recorded an assist, a steal, and a block in his first game since January 14, 2022.
“It felt a lot better playing than watching, I’ll say that much,” he said. “I can’t even really put into words how I felt out there.”
Ball, who turns 27 on October 27, had a cartilage and meniscus transplant in his left knee last year after several previous procedures didn’t work. He felt he “was moving great” and the knee didn’t trouble him “at all.”
Ball received a loud ovation when he came in for Josh Giddey after a timeout in the first quarter. He quickly made an impact by hitting an open 3-pointer from the left corner, assisted by a driving Nikola Vucevic, with 5:25 left in the period, which drew another huge cheer from the crowd.
“Just blessed, man,” Ball said. “There were a lot of people that helped me get here, not just myself. Just to see the crowd and all the love I get from the city, man, you cannot replicate that in any type of way. And it’s real.”
Several players showed their support and respect for Ball in the team’s postgame meeting. Coby White presented him with the game ball, and LaVine handed Ball a jersey that seemed to be signed by the team.
The Bulls have one more exhibition game against Cleveland on Friday before starting the season at New Orleans on October 23. Ball said he will “for sure” play against the Cavaliers. He will begin the season with a minutes restriction and won’t play on back-to-back game days.
The Bulls had Ball on a 16-minute limit against Minnesota. They planned for him to play two roughly four-minute stretches in each half. However, after nearly six minutes in the third quarter, he sat out for the rest of the game.
“I just give him a lot of credit,” coach Billy Donovan said. “It was probably a lot, coming back after being out for 2 1/2 years. You’re playing your first game. I know it’s not the regular season yet, but still, for him to get out in an NBA game — I know he’s put a lot of work in to get himself ready for this moment.”
The Bulls are still figuring out how much activity will cause soreness for Ball, not to mention how his knee will react during games. Chicago also has a crowded backcourt, with Coby White coming off a strong season and Giddey joining the team after a trade from Oklahoma City.
Ball’s time in Chicago began positively after a sign-and-trade deal with New Orleans before the 2021-22 season. He averaged 13 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 42.3% on three-pointers over 35 games before facing setbacks.
The Bulls initially thought Ball had a minor meniscus injury, but it turned out to be much more serious.
Ball had a cartilage transplant in March 2023, his third surgery on the knee in just over a year. He revealed on his podcast last May that the surgery was more complicated.
Ball said he received a new meniscus along with the cartilage transplant. He also had a bone allograft, which means the replacement bone came from another person. Ball explained that the problems dated back to when he tore his meniscus in 2018 while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
