The Chicago Bulls welcomed back their point guard on Wednesday night in the team's home preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Lonzo Ball played in his first game after missing over two years of action, and he made quite the impression. Ball looked to be nearly back to his old self, playing basketball the only way he knows how.
The game on Wednesday means nothing in the long run, but it meant everything to Ball.
After the game, Ball spoke about what it meant to be back on the court and playing the game he loves.
"Felt a lot better playing than watching," Ball said. "I couldn't even put it into words how it felt being out there. ... It was definitely a moment I'll never forget."
After not playing in the NBA for over 1,000 days, three arthroscopic procedures on his left knee, and a rare double cartilage transplant in March 2023, Ball is back doing what he does best.
"Long. Really long," Ball said with a laugh of his recovery process. "But looking back on it, it went a lot faster than I thought. ... Them telling me 18 more months recovery [after the third surgery], it sounds crazy in the moment, but now I'm here. It's all behind me now."
The 26-year-old looked like his old self, all things considered. In 15 minutes of action, he recorded 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, one rebound, one assist, one steal, and one block.
"My game is pretty simple," Ball said. "I know what I can do out there. It's not too complicated. I'm going to go in, give good minutes and hopefully contribute to winning. All the instinctive plays, that's not going to go anywhere. It's more about the on-ball and getting over screens like I used to; getting that back. But off the ball, I feel comfortable."
It's been a long journey for the 6-foot-6 former UCLA product. Many wondered if he would be able to walk again, let alone play basketball. Luckily, he defied all the odds and will look for a healthy season in 2024-25.
The city of Chicago is ecstatic to have Ball back on the court, and so is head coach Billy Donovan. Donovan said that it is important for Ball to get his reps in, so he expects him to play any chance he gets moving forward.
"I think he's going to need to play," Donovan said. "That's kind of the normal NBA rhythm, playing every other day."
The Bulls will open their 2024-25 regular season on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, and Ball is expected to be available and contribute heavily.
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