Lonzo Ball shares crucial injury update ahead of 2024-25 NBA season
Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has not played basketball since Jan. 14, 2022. A meniscus tear sustained against the Golden State Warriors has kept him out for more than two years now. When the Bulls assembled Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic together, the expectation was to contend for championships. It’s safe to say they came nowhere close.
After missing two full seasons, Lonzo Ball finally had some good news for his fans. In an appearance on “The WAE Show,” he provided an injury update and where he was in his recovery process. Ball said:
“I've been getting asked this question a lot. I'm still looking forward to playing the first game, man. My first real test I feel like will be this August when I play 5-on-5 for the first time. You know, I'll have a better update then, but so far so good. Everything has been going well and getting stronger as well in the weight rooms. You know, I have no complaints right now. …
“I'm getting more comfortable each week. I can feel my movements getting back to normal. The more time that I'm on the court, it's just about finding that balance. You know, how much stress I can put on it, you know, during the day. Trying to juggle with it right now. But like I said, I have a better understanding of that when I start playing 5-on-5.”
While Ball is still some way from making a return, playing 5-on-5 is definitely a step in the right direction. He is expected to be slowly transitioned back into game action next season.
How did Chicago Bulls fare in Lonzo Ball’s absence?
Lonzo Ball signed a four-year, $85 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in 2021. He has played just 35 games for the team and is now in the final year of his contract. In the season where he got injured, the Bulls finished sixth in the East with a 46-36 record and lost in the first round.
The next season, Chicago finished 10th with a 40-42 record and lost in the play-in tournament. In the most recent season in 2023-24, the Bulls’ record further dropped to 39-43 but they finished ninth in the East standings. They, however, lost in the play-in tourney yet again.
It’s clear that the team needs Lonzo Ball back from injury. With DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso leaving the team this offseason, the urgency for Ball’s return has only increased.