“Them telling me 18 more months recovery (after my third surgery), it sounded crazy in the moment, but now I’m here.” Since January 2022, Bulls fans have been feeling the absence of Lonzo Ball. Having been put down because of an intense knee injury, the point guard had to go through an extensive recovery period that kept him away for far longer than any average player would be. But after 1006 days, he was back in the preseason, against the Wolves, highlighting the reason why fans loved him right from the start. His return and subsequent scoring prowess earned him praise not only from the United Center attendees but also from his NBA peers.

While he couldn’t have been physically present, LeBron James seems to have caught the Bulls-Timberwolves matchup. Otherwise, he’d have simply been scrolling through social media while coming across the reel posted by the Bulls point guard to highlight his return. Either way, the Lakers star featured the same on his own Instagram story and praised Lonzo Ball, by stating, “So damn proud of you man!!” accompanied by a few folding hands and hearts emojis.

Fans who have been following the NBA for a while would know that Lonzo Ball gained his entry into the pro ranks through the Lakers. Within a year after he was drafted as the 2nd overall pick, the franchise gained another star player as LeBron James joined them after his second stint with the Cavaliers. In a short period, the two players seemed to have built a proper professional bond. However, that didn’t allow Bron to intervene when Ball was added as part of a trade deal that would help the Lakers acquire Anthony Davis.

Before LeBron’s acquisition by the Lakers, it was speculated that Ball may have to be sacrificed to make space for the then-3x NBA champion. While that did not end up being the case, the Lakers anyway ended up trading him, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the draft rights to De’Andre Hunter, two first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap, and cash to get LeBron’s next right-hand man from the New Orleans Pelicans.

To this date, there have been no credible reports to indicate that LeBron James played a role in getting rid of Lonzo Ball. However, there is no denying that by getting Anthony Davis, the pressure to perform offensively was reduced from LeBron’s shoulders by a bit.

Fortunately, Ball does not seem to hold any resentment to how things turned out between him and the Lakers. They won an NBA title in the season right after he left LA. In an interview back in July, he went on to state, “A part of me was like, I mean, to be fair, I would have traded myself for Anthony Davis.”

Furthermore, the hooper knew that in a dynamic world like the NBA, business decisions often result in things happening that a player sometimes wouldn’t wish for. As for LeBron James, we can guess that Lonzo Ball would have been glad to receive praise from him. After all, the Bulls player continued to hold the All-Time scorer in high regard even after his Lakers exit.

Before highlighting the intense practice sessions, Lonzo Ball revealed what it was like playing with LeBron James: “I will never take for granted”

Back in 2022, while still in recovery, Lonzo Ball touched base on his beginnings in the league, and what it was like playing with LeBron, even though it was for a brief period. Even before their first game together, Ball was looking forward to the team-up, since, “He was my favorite player growing up. Being able to share the court with him and learn from him was a moment in my life that I will never be able to forget, that I will never take for granted.”

Lonzo Ball may have had to realize that if LeBron James came close to attaining GOAT status, then there was a reason behind it. Years later, he would touch base on how the now 39-year-old first shaped up his new teammates upon joining the Lakers. Recalling one of their first practice sessions, he stated, “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. We were 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,” Ball explained.

The Lakers and the Bulls won’t get to face each other until March 2025. With Lonzo Ball on a minutes restriction possibly for the entire season, it remains to be seen whether he will be healthy enough till March to take on his former teammate.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.