Bulls Fear Lonzo Ball’s Career Might Be Over Due to Nagging Knee Injury

• Lonzo Ball might never play in the NBA again, according to a report
• Ball missed the entire 2022/23 season and last played in January 2022 due to a knee injury
• He underwent a cartilage transplant surgery in March 2023 and is expected to miss most of the 2023/24 season

Just when Lonzo Ball was starting to grow as a player in the NBA, injury struck. The second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft might reportedly never play again.

The Chicago Bulls guard was shut down for the 2022/23 season in February after undergoing another knee surgery in September 2022.

He last played an NBA game on January 14, 2022, before he was diagnosed with a small meniscus tear and bone bruise. In the previous season (2021/22), he played only 35 games for the Bulls, averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game.

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Ball underwent surgery on January 20, 2022, and the team expected him to miss six to eight weeks. However, he missed the remaining 47 regular-season and playoff games of the 2021-22 season.

The 25-year-old underwent arthroscopic debridement of his left knee, peer the Athletic, which saw him miss the rest of the 2022/23 season.

Ball's career over?

While co-hosting the Organizations Win Championships podcast, 670 the Score’s Dan Bernstein said the team fears the worst regarding Ball's knee problem.

“The other thing I heard is even though publicly there has been an expression of guarded optimism regarding a future for Lonzo Ball,” Bernstein said. “And there’s a reason why for you’re pursuant to all kinds of union issues, why they haven’t asked for the salary exemption yet because they don’t want to send the message publicly that they’re done with him. They don’t think it’s likely that he ever plays again,” via SI.

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In 252 career games with the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Bulls, Ball has averaged 11.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.

DeRozan's daughter inspires Bulls

Sports Brief earlier reported on DeMar DeRozan's daughter Diar, inspiring the Bulls to win their 2023 play-in game against the Toronto Raptors.

Diar stole the show when the Bulls played the Raptors last month, screaming when the Raptors went to the free-throw line.

Her ear-splitting creams may have distracted the Raptors' free throw attempts. They went 18-of-36 (50%) from the free throw line in that game, setting up a stunning 19-point comeback win.