Ball sprinting for 1st time in 2 years
LOS ANGELES — For the first time in more than two years, Lonzo Ball is able to sprint.
The Bulls point guard has undergone multiple ramp-up processes as he tried and failed to return from a left knee injury that has required three surgeries, the most recent of which involved a rare cartilage transplant from which no player has returned to NBA play.
But since his initial injury in January 2022, Ball never has been able to clear the threshold of sprinting without pain or discomfort — until this month.
Coach Billy Donovan said Ball is “running, cutting and jumping” with regularity in his current recovery workouts ahead of Saturday’s 112-102 loss to the Clippers. Ball was in attendance at the game, greeting his teammates warmly and sitting on the bench alongside fellow injured teammate Zach LaVine.
“He’s progressed into that and responded well,” Donovan said. “Some of the things that are — now, not with my own eyes — but in some of the things that the medical guys are showing me, he looks good moving. So just really, really happy for him personally, for his progress. He’s worked hard to put himself in this position and hopefully just continue to progress like he’s progressing.”
In a social media post shared by League Alerts on X (formerly Twitter) this week, Ball was shown lightly cutting and spinning on a court while handling, passing and shooting a basketball. It was a shadow of his prior prowess as a slippery, inventive point guard who commanded the Bulls offense. But it was the most comfortable motion Ball has shown publicly to be able to perform throughout his recovery process.
Sprinting is an important step, but Ball still has a lengthy recovery process ahead before he can return to the Bulls. He has not begun any form of contact drills and is still months away from beginning full-tilt scrimmaging again.
“There’s a lot of time from where he’s at right now to get himself back hopefully where he gets cleared to play five on-five contact ,” Donovan said .“I think that’s going to be the biggest thing is whenever he gets to that place.”
Donovan said the Bulls hope Ball will be able to return to five-on-five contact by the end of this summer, which would position him to begin training with the team during the preseason. While that won’t mean hopping into runs or pro-am leagues over the summer, the Bulls will be open to a variety of options to collaborate with Ball to provide him with scrimmaging opportunities.
But the Bulls have not set a goal date for that scrimmaging to begin as they continue to navigate a recovery process that has never been completed before in the NBA.
“This is something that has been unprecedented,” Donovan said. “He’s been able to pass every hurdle so far … but they haven’t talked to me about a timetable.”