Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls will undergo surgery on his left knee, according to the NBA team.
Injury Update:
Lonzo Ball will undergo an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in LA.
He will be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 21, 2022
In the previous season, Ball was off to a promising start in his first year as a member of the Bulls before tearing his meniscus in January. The tear required surgery and made him miss more than half of the season. Ball played in just 35 games and missed over 50. Since Ball’s injury, his left knee has reportedly never been right.
The latest surgery will be the third one conducted on the very same knee since Ball entered the NBA in 2017, according to ABC 7 Chicago. Wednesday’s procedure will be the second performed on the 25-year-old in just eight months. (RELATED: Logan Paul To Wrestle For The WWE Championships In November)
Ball’s track list of injuries in his first five years in the league is concerning. He has never played an entire 82-game schedule or come close to doing so. The most games he played in a year was 63 during the 2019-2020 NBA season. Being injured and unavailable to play has been the tale of his career up to this point.
The Bulls with Ball in the lineup were 22-13 in the previous season and 24-23 without him, according to Sports Illustrated. He is surely a difference-maker on the floor when he’s available but he is rarely at full-strength. It’s hard to imagine Ball ever getting back to being 100 percent. The Bulls must adopt the “next man up” mentality to overcome yet another injury problem for their point guard.
Ball’s career being riddled by injuries has turned him into a potentially serious draft bust.