Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan reports Lonzo Ball's cartilage transplant surgery went well

On Monday, Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball went under the knife for the third time in the last 14 months. This time, he hopes this cartilage transplant procedure will finally cure his knee troubles and allow him to resume his once-promising career. Bulls coach Billy Donovan reported that the team's medical staff told him that the surgery "went well."

Long road ahead

The road that lies ahead of the former UCLA star is already familiar to him. Ball has not played NBA basketball since January 14, 2022, and in that span, it's been an arduous cycle of surgeries and rehab sessions. However, Lonzo hopes the result of this latest procedure bears positive news for his basketball future. He can also count on coach Donovan's support.

"We all understand that's going to be an uphill battle for him," Donovan said. "But I know that he's going to do everything possible in his rehab to get himself back on the court."

Ball underwent a cartilage transplant that will sideline him indefinitely. There's no timetable for his return, meaning it is uncertain if he will be available for next season's campaign.

Rare procedure

Ball and his team are desperate for a breakthrough, especially after the two previous surgeries he had last year failed to get him the desired results. After tearing his meniscus in January of 2022, Ball immediately underwent surgery to repair it and then had a debridement procedure in September to clear out loose debris later in the year.

Ligament transplant is rarely performed for professional athletes. In fact, the closest thing to this procedure was a cadaver ligament replacement procedure that big man Festus Ezeli went through in 2017. However, Ezeli never played in the NBA again.