Lonzo Ball says he is not retiring from basketball, despite continuing to deal with significant knee pain that has defined much of his NBA career.
Ball recently explained on the Ball In the Family podcast that he feels he has given everything he has to basketball and is grateful for his nine seasons in the NBA. He acknowledged that his knee still requires daily management and can swell after playing. Yoga, stretching and ice help him remain active, but the pain persists and can make movements such as stopping quickly difficult.
His comments sparked retirement speculation, but Ball later clarified on X that he remains ready for another NBA opportunity.
The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft has dealt with injuries throughout his career. After beginning with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ball enjoyed two productive seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Chicago Bulls in 2021. A torn meniscus and subsequent complications eventually caused him to miss the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He underwent a cartilage transplant in March 2023 after describing his knee as essentially “bone on bone.”
Ball successfully returned during the 2024-25 season and was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2025. He appeared in 35 games for Cleveland before being traded to the Utah Jazz in February and subsequently waived without playing for Utah.
With Cleveland, Ball averaged 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Although there has been little reported NBA interest so far, the 28-year-old is apparently not ready to end his career and is waiting for his next opportunity.