Three major surgeries and more than two and a half seasons on the bench, the once-young talent Lonzo Ball is getting closer to his comeback.

According to the prestigious website The Athletic, the coaching staff and medical team have set the date for Lonzo Ball’s return to the Chicago Bulls, which is the NBA Preseason friendly match taking place next Thursday morning Vietnam time against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If everything goes well, this will be the first match that the eldest Ball son has played since January 14, 2022, ending a waiting period of 1,006 days.

When asked by reporters about the definition of success and achieving the goals set for next season, Lonzo Ball appeared extremely modest.

“ For me, being able to be on the field with my teammates, playing and contributing positively to the team is already a success ,” Lonzo shared with reporters at the first Training Camp since 2021.

“I know if I can play, I can help this team. So my goal is just to get on the pitch, run and do what I want with the ball.”

With a series of complicated knee injuries recently, Lonzo Ball has been on the operating table 3 times. In the most recent time, the player born in 1997 had to have a meniscus transplant in his left knee, a treatment for a knee injury never seen before in NBA history.

“Because my knee was so damaged, my meniscus was almost gone. The two ends of the bones just rubbed against each other without cartilage, making everything extremely bad.

So I had to find a donor and transplant it into my knee. Not only cartilage, but bone also needs to be grafted to get the best results. It’s like I have a new knee joint ,” Lonzo Ball explained about the major surgery he underwent.

After an unprecedented surgery in NBA history and rare in world sports, Lonzo Ball can finally return to basketball.

He moved smoothly in training videos posted this past summer, aiming to return to full-time competition after nearly three years of struggling with injuries.

“I try not to think about it too much and just focus on the game. But I’m human, and I’m going to get distracted by this knee ,” Lonzo Ball added.

“There is no other way but to face reality and deal with it. I will absolutely trust the choice I have made, trust that my body can handle it and try to play as much as possible.”

Despite being given the “green light” to return to play, Lonzo Ball will be limited in minutes until his knee is fully healed. According to head coach Billy Donovan, the 27-year-old guard is still feeling sore after every practice.

Barring any further complications, Ball will play in the Chicago Bulls’ final two preseason games, against the Timberwolves on Thursday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Lonzo Ball’s 2021-22 Season Highlights