Lonzo Ball has been on the road to recovery after a lingering knee issue was addressed in September.
Ball underwent his third knee surgery and there were reports that he could be back this season after missing a few months. It’s now more than a few months after the surgery and the Bulls guard is on the mend, according to his father.
LaVar Ball was a guest on the Audacy Original Podcast “Stacey King’s Gimme the Hot Sauce” podcast and gave an update on Lonzo’s progress.
“Lonzo is going to be fine. He’s only 25 years old. He’s going to get his stuff together and then he’ll be ready to play and do his thing again,” Ball said. “People just got to stay off that and thinking ‘Oh, you’re going to come back tomorrow, or next week, or next month.’”
LaVar revealed earlier this season that Lonzo underwent knee surgery to remove bone fragments that were touching nerves. That impacts the ability to do certain things, but he claims Lonzo is on the right track after surgery.
“I mean he had some debris in the nerve. That’s going to cause you to do some other things. That’s why he couldn’t get nothing done,” he said. “It don’t allow you to stretch like that. But all that’s done now. So now it’s about getting your strength back and then getting your endurance.”
LaVar isn’t worried about his son coming back before he’s ready. Being 100% healthy is one of the key things he teaches.
“Like I told him, do everything slow. Don’t be 70% and try to come out there, be 100%,” he said. “So whenever you’re 100% come back and be ready to go. It ain’t about sitting out one game, 20 games. Worry about the money and stuff like that? Nah. Just make sure you’re healthy and good to go where you can play the same way.”
It’s now been over a year since Lonzo last stepped on an NBA court. It may take him some time to find his strength and endurance, but once he has that he’ll be good to go.
“Once you know how to play, s–t. Stacey, you still know how to play. I know how to play. But our bodies won’t allow us to play,” LaVar said. “But we don’t have to play for years and we know how to get in the post, or how we’re going to screen and roll. That’s the game. It’s simple… If you know how to play up here,” he said, pointing at his head, “you can play forever. As long as your body can hold up for.”
Lonzo averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 35 games with the Bulls last season. It was his first year in Chicago after spending two seasons each with the Lakers and Pelicans.
There is no set timeline for Lonzo’s return to action, but his father’s words make it seem like he’ll be back to normal once he returns.
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