Lonzo Ball’s knee injury: A timeline of the recovery for the Chicago Bulls point guard — and the unknown road ahead
Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball had another surgery on his left knee, the third procedure in the last 14 months.
Ball underwent a cartilage transplant on March 20. Uncertainty has shrouded every step of Ball’s recovery since the injury occurred in January 2022, but this procedure throws Ball’s future into completely unprecedented territory.
Cartilage transplants are rare in professional sports. The procedure is relatively new, designed as a step down from a full knee replacement to maintain the integrity of the knee joint. No NBA player has undergone a cartilage transplant and returned to the court.
Ball hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022, when he suffered a small tear in the meniscus in his left knee. That has spiraled into an increasingly confounding injury requiring three surgical procedures and continuing to cause him pain.
Here’s how it all has played out for the Bulls point guard.
Timeline of Lonzo Ball’s knee injury
Jan. 14, 2022: Ball suffers meniscus tear against the Golden State Warriors.
Jan. 20, 2022: Bulls announce Ball will undergo surgery and anticipate a six- to eight-week recovery before he can return to the court.
Feb. 21, 2022: Ball posts a video on Instagram of himself dancing and playing with his daughter, which falsely appears to signal his increased mobility as he nears the end of the recovery window.
March 19, 2022: Coach Billy Donovan says Ball’s recovery is at a standstill, complicated by a bone bruise suffered before to the meniscus tear.
March 20, 2022: Donovan says Ball will stop attempting to run at full-speed for 10 days in an attempt to reduce knee swelling.
April 5, 2022: Ball continues to experience discomfort following the 10-day break, but Donovan says the team won’t shut him down.
April 6, 2022: The Bulls shut down Ball for the season. Donovan says the Bulls medical staff hasn’t suggested a second surgery.
July 12, 2022: Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas says Ball’s recovery is “not at the speed that we would like” but adds the Bulls hope he will be available for training camp.
Sept. 28, 2022: Ball undergoes an arthroscopic debridement in Los Angeles, forcing him to miss training camp and the opening weeks of the season. Bulls set a four- to six-week recovery window from the procedure, but Donovan cautions his recovery could take longer after 10 months away from the court.
Oct. 26, 2022: Ball is nearing reevaluation after the second surgery on his left knee, but Donovan said a date hasn’t been set for the next step in the point guard’s recovery.
Nov. 30, 2022: Nine weeks after his second knee procedure, Ball is still unable to run, jump or cut. He has returned to the weight room at the Advocate Center for moderate weightlifting and core exercises, but he hasn’t played basketball or run at full speed since January.
Jan. 28, 2023: The Bulls crept closer to shutting down Ball for a second straight season. If he can’t make a drastic improvement in the next three weeks before the All-Star break, coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls likely will sit down for a formal discussion on Ball’s season — and his future.
Feb. 2, 2023: “Lonzo is going to be fine,” Lavar Ball said during an interview with the “Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast hosted by Bulls TV analyst Stacey King and WLS-Ch. 7 anchor Mark Schanowski. “He’s only 25 years old. He’s going to get his stuff together and then he’ll be ready to play and do his thing again. People just got to stay off that and thinking ‘Oh, you’re going to come back tomorrow, or next week, or next month.’”
March 20, 2023: Donovan said Ball’s doctors were optimistic after the cartilage transplant in his left knee. But with no clear timetable or standard of success to look toward, the Bulls don’t know what to expect from the next stage of Ball’s recovery.
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