1,013 days. That was the no. of days Lonzo Ball had not played in the NBA. But he’s back now. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft had been out of hooping action for two and a half years! While all this sounds absolutely ridiculous, there is one person in Lonzo’s life, who is hilariously laughing at him, at this point in his career. Well, I think she has all the right to, doesn’t she? That person is none other than Ally Rossel, Ball’s girlfriend. The Chicago Bulls guard has been in a relationship for the past 3 years.

It was Lonzo’s birthday on October 27 and we saw his Instagram. The hooper has been open about sharing his personal life there. We’ve seen him sharing outfit videos with his girlfriend in the past. But this time, it was Ally, sharing a snippet from their date night.

In the first Instagram story, you can see a wholesome mirror selfie of the couple, making a heart with their hands. She captioned the story, “Happy birthday my love”. In the second story, you can see Lonzo playing mini-golf!

With his chest out, the hooper proudly says, “Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills, California, and I’m part of the Masters.” Ally Rossel, laughing uncontrollably, says, “What?”. She overlaid the story with the text, “Not the #1 mini golfer but #1 in my heart *crying emoji* *heart*.”

We’re glad Lonzo Ball has come back on the court and is enjoying his life off-court as well. Scoring those crucial points for the Bulls and providing comedic relief to his girlfriend. After a rare meniscus and cartilage transplant, Ball became the first-ever NBA player, wait scratch that, the first-ever professional athlete to return to the elite level of competitive sports. Let us hope he finds the form and touches the potential that he had before his injury.

What does the future hold for Lonzo Ball?

Now in the fourth year of his deal with the Bulls, Lonzo Ball has struggled to make an impact on the team primarily because of his injuries. The hooper is taking responsibility for his situation and believes he can still perform at a high level.

Since returning to the roster after missing over two seasons, he has made a positive difference. He was back in action during the preseason and has participated in games against the New Orleans Pelicans and the OKC Thunder during the regular season, where he accumulated a combined total of 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists over 30 minutes of play.

Earlier this month, Lonzo Ball said: “You know, honestly I feel like I can just give good minutes on the court, however that may be. I just want to help the team win. There’s nothing that I really want to do stat-wise. It’s just going out there and doing my job, and I feel like I can still compete at a high level. That’s why I wanted to come back.“

Because of his knee problems, Lonzo Ball will continue to miss one game during back-to-backs, and the decision on which game the hooper will participate in will be determined on November 6. On that date, the Bulls will head to Dallas to face the Mavericks before coming back home to take on the Timberwolves the following night.