Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball underwent surgery this offseason on his left knee, but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
Ball had a torn meniscus in his knee. The 20-year-old received a PRP injection after the season ended, but the shot didn’t take care of the pain, so Ball was forced to go under the knife.
In the latest episode of “Ball in the Family,” Ball says he had a partial meniscus removal instead of a full repair.
“I got hurt a couple of times during the season, and then after the season, I decided to get a shot and try to take care of it that way,” Ball said. “That didn’t work, so the last option was surgery. They’ve got to take it out. They said they could repair it, but it would take me six months to get back. But, if they just take it out, it will only be six weeks.”
The good news is that Ball didn’t have a total removal of his meniscus. That procedure can lead to knee issues such as arthritis down the line.
Ball played in 52 games during his rookie season and averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists, shooting 36.0 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three. LeBron James told Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson he likes Ball’s game and is excited to play with him. Ball will compete with Rajon Rondo in training camp for the team’s starting point guard spot.
Ball‘s name came up in trade rumors this summer when the Lakers were trying to acquire Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs. The former UCLA Bruin says he wasn’t too surprised.
“There’s trade rumors every year,” Ball said. “Athletes in general, you’re never really 100 percent safe. Wherever you’re at. Anything can happen, especially in the offseason, so all I can do is just make sure I’m ready to play at the best of my abilities.”
The Spurs had no interest in acquiring Ball, as the organization didn’t want to deal with the circus that Ball brings with him.
