Chicago Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Makes Bold Declaration That He’ll Play in the 2024-25 Season – And Here’s Why

The 26-year-old guard said this on the latest episode of his What An Experience podcast.

“Yes, I firmly believe that,” said Ball. “That’s the plan that I’m on and I haven’t had any setbacks, so I expect to play the first game.”

Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in an NBA game since January 14, 2022, as he went through a raft of knee surgeries in recent years. He has only played 35 games for the Chicago Bulls in the early part of the 2021-22 season, helping the team go 22-13 with averages of 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 42.3 percent from three-point land.

Lonzo Ball is ready to return for the Chicago Bulls soon, thanks to a meniscus donor

Lonzo Ball broke down what he had been through with his injured knee in the past two seasons. After tearing his meniscus in January 2022, the Chicago Bulls floor general went through a series of surgeries. And then after that, he underwent a cartilage transplant in March 2023, which he detailed to his podcast co-hosts.

“To make a long story short, ultimately, it started with the meniscus tear. It started on the Lakers when I tore it the first time (in 2018). Tore it a couple more times to a point where there was, basically, not much meniscus left and bone on bone was rubbing,” Ball said.

“The cartilage was gone and the bone was messed up, so I had to get a new meniscus from a donor. I had to get a bone allograft and I had to get some new cartilage put in as well. All that finally healed up and now I’m back on the court,” he continued.

The 2024-25 season is pivotal for Lonzo Ball, who exercised his $21.4 player option.