Lonzo Ball on the operating table for the third time, accepting the biggest gamble of his NBA career

According to reputable news site ESPN, Chicago Bulls defender Lonzo Ball has completed a left knee meniscus transplant surgery.

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan shared that this is a risky trick for Ball's career, but also the only way for PG born in 1997 to return to the top NBA competition.

“The doctors and specialists told us that the operation went very well. Now the recovery will officially begin and I can assure you that as soon as possible, Lonzo Ball will start training because his love for basketball is so great," said Donovan.

“Regarding the decision to have surgery, the medical team and Lonzo himself worked to get input from various groups of experts. In the end we concluded that going to the operating table would be the best option.

It should be said that this method will be a bit risky, but all agree because this is the only way for Lonzo to be able to play again in the NBA. The road to recovery, physical therapy, and acclimatization will be challenging.

The coaching staff, medical staff and the entire team will support Lonzo Ball with all their heart, doing all they can to support physically and mentally during this difficult time to come," the Chicago Bulls head coach said. more.

This is the third knee surgery Lonzo Ball has had to perform in less than 13 months, all around a complex complex of knee injuries.

It all started with a left knee meniscus injury in January 2022. The medical team decided to take Ball as soon as possible and it is expected that he can return at the end of the Regular Season season 2021-22. (out of competition for 6-8 weeks).

However, because the recovery process did not go as expected, Lonzo had to rest the rest of the season. It seemed that everything would go well with full rest, but Ball continued to suffer from knee pain that lasted for 4-5 months.

“If I just limit myself to normal physical training sessions, I feel fine. But as long as there is exercise related to basketball, my knee is not good," Lonzo Ball told reporters in September 2022.

In the end, he decided to go to the operating table for a second time in the hope of solving it completely. From a seemingly simple injury and took about 2 months to return to the field, up to now, Lonzo Ball has been out of action for 9 months.

“Me and the parties involved have tried to find a way to handle it without surgery. However, after careful consideration, it was the best decision for me knowing that going to the operating table would cost me a long time out of the game."

Unfortunately, that is not the end of the complicated injury that Lonzo Ball has. Half a year after the second operation, he had another operation. After two unsuccessful treatments and treatments, Lonzo and medical experts decided to perform a new meniscus transplant in his left knee.

“Ultimately, what I want is to play again, to play and fight with my teammates. This injury is making me feel very frustrated, but I believe that the next course of treatment will help me get back to the top arena.

According to reputable journalist Adrian Wojnarowski, a meniscus transplant will likely cost Lonzo Ball not only the rest of this season but also the entire next season (2023-24).

There has not been any further information about Ball's time or possibility of returning. Currently, the team has only announced that the 26-year-old defender will be out of action indefinitely.

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As soon as he signed a new contract with the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2021, Lonzo Ball played extremely well alongside two stars, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He plays the role of a perfect leader, defends well and throws 3 points very well (42.3% 3PT).

But since the day Ball left the field, Chicago plunged with only 19 victories in the next 42 games before being eliminated in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks with a score of 4-1.

This surgery will put Lonzo Ball out of action for a long time with the possibility of losing the entire 2023-24 season. Experts are concerned that by the time Ball returns, the team's competitiveness will no longer be as it was in the 2021-22 season, and Lonzo personally is unlikely to regain his previous form.

No one knows what the future holds, just know that many fans have regretted Lonzo Ball when he was injured at the right time at the peak of his form and at the time when he found a suitable place to play. mine.