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Lonzo Ball Denies NBA Retirement Amid Health Struggles
Developing
In Short: Lonzo Ball, discussing his knee issues on a podcast, denied retirement rumors despite a history of injuries.
Lonzo Ball addressed his health struggles on the latest episode of the Ball In the Family podcast, where he acknowledged the pain in his knee that he has to manage daily.
Ball noted that his knee swelled up recently during play, making it difficult to stop quickly without aggravating the injury. He has undergone multiple surgeries, including a meniscus repair in 2018 and a cartilage transplant in 2023.
Despite these challenges, Ball clarified on X that he is still open to playing and seeking his next opportunity. He began experiencing knee issues as a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he sprained his MCL midway through his first season.
Ball's knee problems persisted, leading him to miss both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He returned for the 2024-25 season with the Chicago Bulls but faced limited playing time due to lingering issues.
The Lakers traded Ball to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis deal, and he later signed with the Bulls as a free agent in 2021.
While Ball's injury history has made it difficult for him to maintain consistent playing time, he remains committed to continuing his NBA career.
There are currently no strong indications that teams are actively pursuing Ball, but he remains optimistic about his future in the league.
What's still developing
- Ball went on to say he has to "manage" the pain in his knee every day and it swelled up recently when he was playing, but a mix of yoga, stretching and ice makes it "to where I can do s--t" even though it's "still gonna hurt" and it felt like he was "playing on stilts" at times because he can't stop quickly without aggravating it.
- Ball had arthroscopic surgery to repair his meniscus in July 2018, but he was back for the start of the 2018-19 season.
- There haven't been many indications at this point teams are looking at Ball.
- He played in the Lakers' first 47 games before an ankle injury ended his sophomore campaign.