What happened to Lonzo Ball & who does he play for now?
NBALonzo Ball drove NBA headlines for a large chunk of his professional career but has recently faded into relative obscurity. Where does Ball currently play and why has his brand died down in the media?
The star point guard currently plays for the Chicago Bulls in the league’s Eastern Conference. He’s been with the team since the summer of 2021.
The main reason Ball hasn’t been the talk of the town of late is not because of his play. The UCLA product has been hampered with a knee injury that has sidelined him for over two years.
As a result, Ball’s name, and not so much his relevance, has gone under the shade.
Why isn’t Lonzo Ball playing in the NBA right now?
Lonzo Ball is unable to play due to a knee injury. Despite having strong showings when he could play, his career has seen him sidelined due to injuries more often than not.
It isn’t just one injury, either, he’s really been through the wringer and has had some notoriously bad luck with keeping himself on the court.
That said, he’s still planning to play when he’s finally gone through proper rehabilitation.
Lonzo Ball’s lengthy list of injuries
The Los Angeles native has battled a slate of injuries since entering the NBA in 2017. Here is a full list of the infirmities that Ball has fallen victim to, as Chicago Bulls Talk shared on X/Twitter:
Ball’s legs have not held up. He tore his left meniscus during the Bulls’ January 14 matchup against the Golden State Warriors and his ensuing surgery that winter shelved him until now.
The 26 year old has played in 252 of a possible 548 games as he approaches seven full seasons as a professional. He’s yet to overcome the injury bug, yet was doing things he had yet to achieve at the time he went down.
How well was Ball Playing when last seen?
The former No. 2 overall pick’s most recent injury came at the worst time. Ball was in the middle of a career year during the 2021-22 season.
Through 35 games, Ball raised his field goal and three-point percentages to 42.3 percent apiece, both of which marked career-highs. He was also playing standout defense and pushing the pace for a Bulls team that entered that year as dark horse contenders in the East.
Ball entered the league with much criticism for his unorthodox shooting form as he crossed the ball over the side of his face leading up to his release. Eclipsing 40 percent from deep was at one point looked at as an impossibility.
He established himself as one of the best three-and-d players in the Association. Chicago should be encouraged that he’ll be able to approximate that level of production when he returns.
When will Ball be playing again?
The million dollar question is when will Ball take the floor again? According to multiple reports, Ball was cleared to begin running this past January.
Yahoo Sports’ Jack Simone shared this optimistic quote from Ball, who has steadily progressed in his recovery process:
“I definitely plan on playing again,” Ball said via KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “After surgery three, I feel like it’s going well so far, no setbacks. So for me it’s just keep my head up, just keep doing the work. Rehab has been long. It feels like every day is almost the same. But I’m getting better each week and that’s all I can ask for. It feels good to be around the guys. You can feel a new energy in the building, at least coming from my point of view.”
The star point guard is still unlikely to return for the second-half of this season, especially with the Bulls outside of playoff positioning, but his words offer hope.
Is Big Baller Brand still in operation?
Ball became as famous as he is due in part to his apparel line Big Baller Brand, launched by his boisterous father Lavar Ball.
The elder Ball hyped up his son as he made his way through the draft and his rookie season with the L.A. Lakers. The brand fed off of their hype and created a social media craze over the pricepoint of the younger Ball’s signature “Zo2” shoe.
All is well with the family brand. It is still in operation and selling a bevy of items headlined by their still pricey footwear. Ball’s hopeful resurgence next year will likely help the brand’s profile gain more attention.
