Lonzo Ball shows progress in 5-on-5 scrimmage as Bulls guard works on comeback after missing two seasons

Ball has been sidelined since January 2022 after three knee surgeries

By Jasmyn Wimbish Aug 21, 2024 at 1:21 pm ET• 3 min read

Lonzo Ball hasn't played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, but after two and a half years sidelined with injuries, this may be the season we actually see him return to the floor. This week, Ball participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with fellow NBA players Jaren Jackson Jr., Daniel Gafford and Deandre Jordan. 

Ball showed off his passing skills and his jumpshot in the video, though he wasn't running at full speed in the scrimmage. The Bulls said he was cleared for 5-on-5 contact at the beginning of August, which is a positive sign for Ball and the Bulls, and this video shows proof that he's closer to a return than ever before.

It's the first footage we've seen of Ball in game-like action since his last NBA game, and it's an important milestone in his comeback from an injury that's seen constant setbacks.

Ball originally tore his meniscus in January 2022, which cost him the rest of the season. It was a massive blow for a Bulls team that had a 22-13 record when he played to start the season. Chicago ranked near the top of the Eastern Conference at the time and looked like a team that could make some noise in the postseason thanks to a potent offense behind DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine and the defensive duo of Ball and Alex Caruso. Ball was the orchestrator on offense, setting up teammates and knocking down 3s, while playing hard-nosed defense on the other end of the floor. He was the ideal point guard for that Bulls team, and once he went out with the torn meniscus, Chicago wasn't the same.

There was hope that Ball would return the following season, as most players do after rehabbing from a torn meniscus for a year. But Ball suffered setbacks in his rehab and had to undergo another knee surgery, this time an arthroscopic debridement procedure to clear up debris from his knee. He then underwent a third knee surgery in March 2023, which was an experimental cartilage transplant that gave him a new meniscus.