Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball conducted his exit interview on April 28 and the 24-year-old delivered some alarming news about his offseason plans.
Ball, who underwent surgery on January 28 to address a meniscus tear and bone bruise in his left knee, told reporters that he’s “kind of at a standstill right now” and will visit another specialist next week because he still has pain in his knee.
“Kind of let it calm down for the last two weeks. I was going at it pretty hard trying to get back as fast as possible,” Ball said. “But like I said, at a standstill, still have pain. So gotta get that figured out this summer for sure.”
Ball said he’s “not sure” if he will need another surgical procedure on his left knee. The former Los Angeles Lakers star played in only 35 games this season, putting up per-game numbers of 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
“Hopefully not. I wouldn’t want to have another one,” Ball said. “But if that’s what it takes, then I pretty much have no choice at this point. … Obviously, something needs to be addressed this summer. A lot more leg workouts as opposed to probably upper body. I’m going to work with the doctors and the strength coaches and do what I gotta do to get healthy.”
Bulls Missed Ball
The Bulls lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2022 playoffs in five games. Ball’s final game of the season was on January 14 against the Golden State Warriors. The Bulls lost that contest by 42 points, but they still boasted an impressive record of 27-13.
Things went downhill for Chicago after Ball got hurt. The team finished the season 46-36 and Ball admitted during his exit interview that he was frustrated he got injured.
“It’s very frustrating,” Ball said. “This year, we had a lot of promise, I felt like, and we had a lot of goals that I don’t think were met, mainly due to a lot of health issues. You can’t change the past. I think everything happens for a reason. For me, it’s now about moving forward and getting ready for next year.”
The Bulls gave Ball a four-year, $80 million contract last summer as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. The UCLA product has undergone two surgeries to repair his meniscus since entering the NBA in 2017 and hasn’t played more than 63 games in a season.
Ball on Injuries: ‘It’s Just Part of the Game’
Ball has career averages of 11.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 252 games with the Lakers, Pelicans and Bulls. For Chicago’s $80 million investment to pay off, Ball has to get healthy this summer and prove he can stay on the court in 2022-23.
“I don’t think anybody plays to get hurt. It’s just part of the game,” Ball said. “It’s been unfortunate for me my first couple years in the league. But hopefully, I can turn it around next year. … Do whatever I gotta do to come back and be ready to play the full 82 next year. That’s pretty much my main priority this summer. Hit the ground running.”
Ball will make $19,534,884 next season.
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Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Delivers Alarming News About Offseason Plans