Lonzo Ball missed over 1,000 days and two full seasons thanks to a brutal knee injury, but despite all that, he’s still dealing with it daily, even if rumors tried to say he was done. After signing a four-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, Ball was absolutely living up to expectations in his first season. He was the team’s jack of all trades, a huge reason the Bulls blasted out to a 27-13 record through their first 40 games. Then, BAM. Disaster.
From Jack-of-All-Trades to 1,000 Days Gone
That knee injury was first supposed to sideline Ball for just six weeks. Six weeks! Can you believe it? But we all know how these things go, right? Complications hit hard, leading to at least two more surgeries on his left knee. All told, the guy missed more than 1,000 days and two full seasons before he finally got back on the court for the Bulls during the 2024-25 NBA season. But here’s the kicker: his performance just wasn’t the same. Ball opened up about facing that tough reality and how much his career changed on Tuesday’s “Ball in the Family” podcast, chatting with Gilbert Arenas.
That ‘Every Day’ Grind, On and Off the Court
Arenas asked Ball straight up how he was feeling physically. Ball admitted he’s gotta manage that knee, saying he could “play if I want to, but still got to deal with it every day.” He even played basketball the day before the podcast, and guess what? His knee was swollen. He’s doing the whole routine, stretching, icing it, yoga, you name it, just to get by. On the court, it’s wild. He can take certain stances where the knee behaves, but other times, he feels totally off balance. He’s even lost the ability to stop himself abruptly when he’s driving.
Mentally, though, Ball seems to have found some peace. He’s super grateful for his nine seasons in the NBA. He said, “I feel like I gave everything I had to hoop and I feel like everything I got in my life is because of hoop. So I’m grateful to even make it to the league and even be able to play for nine years. That’s how I look at it.” He talked about how your game changes, how you “see where you’re supposed to be and you physically can’t get there,” and how that “sucks.” But, he added, “there’s a lot of people, like, that don’t have meals to eat type s***.” So for him, just getting to play, put on a jersey, and do what he dreamed of as a kid, that’s enough to be happy. Wow.
Nah, He Ain’t Done Yet (But The Call Is Still Out)
After those incredibly raw comments, a lot of folks started spinning it like Ball was unofficially retiring. But hold up, not so fast! Ball never actually said he was done. He quickly shut down those rumors with a tweet that pretty much said it all: “I retired? News to me lol cuz I’m still waiting for a call… NBA season long 🤷🏻♂️.” That’s classic Ball, right? So, while Lonzo Ball is still out there managing that knee and waiting for the phone to ring, you gotta respect the grind and the honest reflection. It’s a brutal game, and he’s still in it, averaging “ju.” The question remains whether that call will finally come, but you know he’s ready.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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