Lonzo Ball has opened up about the difficult reality of his professional journey with the Chicago Bulls, following a series of devastating injuries that derailed his upward trajectory. The 28-year-old guard was in the early stages of his stint in Illinois when a major knee injury forced him into a lengthy layoff period.
At age 24, Ball appeared in 35 games during his first season with the Bulls, averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from three-point range. The Bulls were thriving during that period, and Ball's elite playmaking was a major reason for their offensive success. Unfortunately, his season ended prematurely, and he would go on to miss the next two seasons.
"I mean, it definitely takes some joy away from it, obviously, because you can't do what you want to do. I think everybody just faces that at some point in their career eventually," Ball said on Michael Porter Jr.'s show. "You know, whether it's age going to get you, I mean, unless you're LeBron, other than him, something's going to happen where you start declining."
Ball continued his reflection on regret, stating, "And it's always going to be like, damn, I wish I could do this. I wish I could do that. But I never really live life like, looking in the past or nothing like that." Although his career was in doubt in the public eye for a long time, he stayed the course and returned to the Bulls. The veteran guard played in just 35 games during the 2024-2025 NBA season, posting averages of 7.6 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.
Although the Bulls gave Ball a new contract, they traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2025-2026 offseason. Despite the idea of a fresh start in Ohio, Ball struggled to find an identity. The veteran guard is convinced that a little more shooting from the offensive end would have kept him in place in Cleveland.
"Honestly, the [expletive] would have been fine in Cleveland if I would have just made an extra two shots a game Ball explained. In Cleveland, Ball came off the bench for all but three of the 35 games he played. Seeing the court for 20.8 minutes per game, Ball attempted 5.0 shots per game. He struggled from the field, averaging 30.1% and put up 4.6 points per game.
The Cavs traded Ball to the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline. The rebuilding Jazz didn't see a need to keep Ball around, waiving him the same day. At this stage, Ball is a free agent deep into the summer without rumors of a team giving him a legitimate look. Last result: Dallas Mavericks 149-128 Chicago Bulls (2026-04-13).