Bulls' Lonzo Ball confirms he'll miss entire 2023-24 NBA season

During an appearance on Trae Young's "From The Point" podcast, Chicago Bulls point guardLonzo Ball confirmed that he'll miss the entirety of the 2023-24NBA season.

Back in March, Ball had a cartilage transplant in his left knee— his third surgery on that knee since he initially got hurt inJanuary of 2022.

"[I'm] just taking it day by day, bro. I just had a really bigsurgery. Hopefully, the last one I ever have to get," Ball said."It's a long process. I'm already out this whole next season."

The fact that Ball will be sidelined all season isn't toosurprising, as Bulls executive vice president of basketballoperations Arturas Karnisovas hinted that this might be the caseback in June.

“Everything is going well,” Karnisovas said at the time. “I think ourexpectation is that he’s not coming back next season and he’s goingto continue on his recovery. If he comes back, it would begreat.”

Ball hasn't played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022. Prior tohis injury, he was averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists,3.1 threes and 1.8 steals, while shooting a career-high 42.3% fromthree-point range.

"When I first got hurt, we didn't really know what it was," Ballsaid during Young's podcast. "I was seeing all type of differentdoctors and stuff. I was just kind of going up and down. That wasreally hard for me because I just didn't know what the next day wasgoing to be like.

"At least now, I got the surgery. We got a plan moving forward.We've been on plan. I'm on track. Hopefully, everything works out.I just leave it up to God and do the best I can and live with theresults."

Ball is frustrated that he hasn't been able to play alongsidehis Bulls teammates, as he feels Chicago's roster perfectlycomplements his game.

"It's going to be a big what-if," Ball said. "I feel bad, justfor the [Bulls'] GMs because I feel like they made the perfect teamaround me. That was the most I've ever been involved in anorganization and I finally got the perfect team that I felt likecould fit my game and play my way and really just do what I wantedto do, so that injury — I'm still going through it right now — butthat one messed me up early because I felt like we had a chance andnever got to see what it was."

Recently, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reported that Ball's injury isso bad that he has trouble standing up from a seated position. Ballresponded by posting a video on social-media that showed himsitting down and standing up with ease, while calling out Smith'sinaccurate reporting.

@stephenasmithcome to the actual source next time. I’m not hard to reach pic.twitter.com/88xyoB7LTf

Over the course of Ball's five-year NBA career, the 25-year-oldhas averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 threes and1.6 steals per game. Since being selected No. 2 overall by the LosAngeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball has emerged as aterrific passer and lockdown perimeter defender.