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    • When will the Bulls star return to the NBA?
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    When will the Bulls star return to the NBA?

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    Lonzo Ball became a college sensation, the first in a line of basketball-playing brothers with an ubiquitous father who doubled as hype man. But it’s been more than a thousand days since Ball played in an NBA game, with his promising career sidelined by a left knee injury. Until now, maybe.

    Ball is expected to make his 2024 preseason debut when the Chicago Bulls host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, according to ESPN. He last appeared in an NBA game for the Bulls on January 14, 2022, a 138–86 loss to the Golden State Warriors, in which the main story initially appeared to be Zach LaVine’s health after experiencing discomfort in his knee experienced in the first quarter. Ball actually played nearly 24 minutes and scored 15 points in a matchup between teams that had the best records in the Eastern and Western Conference at the time.

    Three surgeries and nearly three years later, Ball is entering the final year of his four-year, $85 million contract after playing just 35 regular season games for the Bulls. But he’s also on track for a history-making comeback that could be one of the most compelling storylines of this NBA season.

    No NBA player has ever returned to play after undergoing the cartilage transplant procedure that Ball resorted to in March 2023 after still experiencing pain during basketball activities following two previous procedures on his left knee. To prepare for his comeback attempt, here’s a timeline of everything Ball endured during his 33-month journey back from a knee injury that initially didn’t seem that serious:

    WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: ‘NBA Inside Stuff’ brought together NBA and pop culture before social media. Now it’s getting the HOF treatment.

    Lonzo Ball injury update

    ESPN reported that Ball will return to the field Monday for the Chicago Bulls in Wednesday’s home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He did not play in the Bulls’ first two preseason games, with coach Billy Donovan citing a bout with COVID that limited his workouts ahead of training camp and a precaution against left knee soreness. Ball said on his podcast last week that he expected to play in two of the team’s final three preseason games. If he plays on Wednesday, it will be 1,006 days since his last NBA game.

    Lonzo Ball knee injury timeline

    • January 15, 2022: The Bulls ruled Ball out of their game at the Boston Celtics with “left knee soreness.”
    • January 20, 2022: The Bulls announced that Ball would “undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to return in 6-8 weeks” due to a meniscus tear and bone bruise on his left knee.
    • April 6, 2022: The Bulls announced that Ball would not return for the remainder of the 2021-2022 season. The team said Ball “continues to experience pain with high-level physical activity. He will continue daily treatment and rehabilitation in preparation for the 2022-2023 season.”
    • September 21, 2022: The Bulls announced that Ball would undergo further surgery on his injured left knee, called “arthroscopic debridement”, and miss the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season. The team said Ball would be reevaluated in four to six weeks after feeling uncomfortable while ramping up activities. The Bulls rested him for 10 days in hopes of resolving the issues, but Ball said he felt pain again when he started preparing to play.

    • September 27, 2022: Ball admitted to reporters: “I still can’t play basketball. I can’t run or jump.” He noted that the arthroscopic debridement would be the third surgery on his left knee, as he also underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in 2018. “There’s a range of about 30 to 60 degrees when my knee is bent so I have no strength. And I can’t catch myself,” Ball said, describing his condition at the time. “So until I can do those things, I can’t play. I have recovered. It kept getting better. But it wasn’t to the point where I could go out and actually go outside and run or jump at full speed. So surgery was the next step. … I don’t really want to rush anything.”
    • February 21, 2023: The Bulls have officially cut Ball for the 2022-2023 season after he was unable to participate in basketball-related activities following his second surgery. “Despite significant increases in strength and function in recent months, Ball continues to experience performance-limiting discomfort while participating in high-level basketball-related activities,” Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas said in a team statement. “Given the time period required to reach the necessary level of fitness to return to play and the current phase of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on resolving his discomfort and achieving a full return for the 2023-2024 season.”
    • March 16, 2023: The Bulls announced that Ball would undergo a cartilage transplant on his left knee and would be out indefinitely. The procedure, Ball later explained, involved receiving a new meniscus from a donor. Said Bulls coach Billy Donovan said on March 20, after the cartilage transplant procedure was completed, “I do know that based solely on the information he was able to gather from various doctors, Lonzo made the decision he felt like making.” this was the best chance to get him back on the field. We all understand that it will be an uphill battle for him, but I know that during his rehabilitation he will do everything possible to get back on the field. .”
    • June 23, 2023: The Bulls announced they expected Ball to miss the entire 2023-2024 season. “Everything is going well,” Karnisovas told reporters. “Going into the offseason, I think our expectation is that he won’t come back next season and will continue his recovery. If he comes back that would be great, but we’re just going to deal with this this offseason and prepare for the season that he doesn’t come back.”
    • August 22, 2023: Ball posted a video in response to comments made by Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s “First Take” and stated, “I’ll be back.” Smith said earlier on the air: “Something went wrong with the procedures he had. I don’t think he’ll ever be the same based on what we see, hear and read. I’ve heard that’s the case.” even difficult for him to get up from a sitting position.”
    • December 28, 2023: Billy Donovan told reporters that Ball was expected to return to running in January and expressed optimism about the success of Ball’s most recent surgery. “The pain he experienced has been eliminated,” Donovan said.
    • March 9, 2024: Donovan told reporters that Ball had begun cutting, jumping and sprinting in controlled, non-contact situations. A week earlier, a video of Ball performing a basketball workout had surfaced on social media. NBC Sports Chicago reported two days later that Ball had been cleared for “advanced rehabilitation activities.” “Some of the training has been really positive and he’s made progress,” Donovan said. “He responded well. Some of the things that medical guys have shown me is that he looks good. I’m just really happy for him personally because of his progress. He has worked hard to put himself in this position. And hopefully he can continue to make progress.”
    • July 26, 2024: Ball revealed on his ‘What an Experience’ podcast that he would be cleared to participate in 5-on-5 training in August.
    • August 7, 2024: The Bulls confirmed that Ball had started playing in full-contact 5-on-5 scrimmages
    • September 30, 2024: Karnisovas was asked by the Bulls media if Ball would be ready for Opening Night this season. “That’s the plan,” Chicago’s executive vice president of basketball operations responded. “As we enter camp, we will have to bring him up slowly. He has already played 5-on-5, but we have not seen him go through camp, so there will be a lot of learning,” Karnisovas said. “It will take time require.’ Ball echoed that sentiment, telling reporters at the event that he planned to be ready to play in the first game of the regular season. Both Ball and the team noted he would be on a minutes restriction and not at back at first to back nights. “I pretty much have a brand new knee, so it’s always going to be a little different than what God gave me to start with,” Ball said enough to play. That’s all that really matters, managing and being available all year round… I think I’ll definitely be ready for the first game.”
    • October 11, 2024: Ball said on his podcast that he expects to play in two of the Bulls’ final three preseason games. Chicago plays the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday before wrapping up its season schedule with home games this week against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

    Follow USA TODAY Network sportscaster Mark Giannotto on social media @mgiannotto and email him at [email protected]

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