Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball, former teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers from 2017 to 2019, continue to share a strong bond, even as their NBA careers have taken different paths.
Hart, now with the New York Knicks, took to X, formally known as "Twitter," to praise Ball's dedication and determination following injury-riddled seasons. Ball could be seen draining his signature pick-up threes and going all in.
"League is better when Zo is healthy" Hart captioned the post
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Ball has been sidelined for a long time due to multiple knee injuries, including his meniscus surgery. He last played in the NBA during the 2021–22 season and is eager to make a strong comeback to the court for the upcoming season.
In the second episode of his podcast, "What an Experience," the 6'6" UCLA guard Ball discussed his knee injury, which has kept him inactive for more than two and a half years. The injury required three separate surgeries on the same knee and has kept him out of action since January 2022.
"To make a long story short, ultimately, it started with the meniscus tear," Ball said. "Basically, it started on the Lakers when I tore it the first time. Tore it a couple more times to a point to where there was no more, basically, not much meniscus left and bone on bone was rubbing."
"So the cartilage was gone and the bone was messed up so I had to get, actually, a new meniscus from a donor. I had to get a bone allograft and I had to get some cartilage put in, as well. All that, finally, healed up and I'm back on the court now," he added.
While there's no definitive timeline for Ball's return, this latest training video offers hope for Bulls fans and basketball enthusiasts alike.
Lonzo Ball remembers being awestruck by LeBron James' explosive performance at Lakers practice
Former Los Angeles Laker Lonzo Ball opened up about his early days with the team, and one particular memory stands out: witnessing LeBron James' sheer dominance in practice.
Ball was in his second NBA season when LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. The Lakers hadn't made the playoffs in five years, so with James on board, they were focused on winning right away.
Ball, who played with LeBron James, had this to say about his practice when talking about the 'Welcome to the NBA moment':
“I’ve never seen an individual do that type on a basketball court. Basically, Bron dominated the whole practice once he turned it on. Going through the middle windmilling like in half-court, going baseline tomahawk, half-court 3s," he said.
"We was playing the 21, he had 21 and we had 7. That was the first time I was like, ‘Damn, that’s crazy.’ I had no business being in front of him right now.”
As Lonzo recovers from his injury, fans are eager to see him back on the basketball court.
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