NBA star plays first game in nearly 3 years after 3 surgeries

CHICAGO - After missing the past two-plus NBA seasons due to knee injuries, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball returned Wednesday for his first game played since January 2022.

Ball scored 10 points with one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block to help lead the Bulls to a 125-123 preseason victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the United Center in Chicago.

Ball received a standing ovation from Bulls fans when he checked into the game at the 6:08 mark of the first quarter. About 44 seconds of game time later, he splashed a corner 3-pointer to another ovation from the home crowd.

The 6-foot-4 point guard was restricted to 15 minutes in his first game back, but said afterwards it "felt a lot better playing than watching."

"(I) can't really put into words how it felt to be out there," Ball said. "I'm just blessed ... Just to see the crowd and all the love I get from the city, you can't replicate that in any type of way."

Ball, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, has undergone three arthroscopic procedures on his left knee since suffering an injury in his first season with the Bulls on Jan. 14, 2022. The third of those surgeries was a rare double cartilage transplant in March 2023, which doctors told him would require an 18-month recovery.

"Long. Really long," Ball said of his recovery process. "But looking back on it, it went a lot faster than I thought. ... Them telling me 18 more months recovery, it sounds crazy in the moment, but now I'm here. It's all behind me now.

"It's not the same body I started off with. But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That's why I'm still trying to play."

Prior to his knee injury, Ball was averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games for the Bulls in his first season with the team since being traded from the New Orleans Pelicans. The five-year NBA veteran previously played two seasons with the Pelicans and his first two seasons with the Lakers.

After the Bulls' win on Wednesday, Ball was awarded the game ball by his teammates.

"Today was going to be a special day regardless of the outcome," Bulls guard Coby White said before awarding the game ball to Ball. "Zo back, man. It's a blessing to be a part of his journey A lot of us (have) been here through it all, seeing the highs and lows. This was a hell of a night for him."

"I respect you more than anything because of what you've been through," added Bulls guard Zach LaVine. "We love you, we care about you, I'm glad to see you back."

Ball also noted he didn't think about his knee while playing in his first NBA game in more than 1,000 days.

"That's a positive thing," Ball said. "I didn't feel it at all. I felt like I was moving great. So now it's just about building, just continue to do it night and night out."