Bulls' Lonzo Ball Reflects on Injury: 'The More You Pout, the Worse It's Going to Be'

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is "just trying to stay positive first and foremost" amid his continued recovery from knee surgery last March.

"I think that's the first part," he said on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast of Saturday's 123-115 loss to the Sacramento Kings. "Making sure your mind is still in it. And then making sure your body follows that. That's what I've been doing, taking it day by day. And just giving myself the best chance possible to come back.

"I would say the main thing that keeps me going is knowing the main goal and that's to get back and play. The more you pout, the worse it's going to be. Stay positive, keep your head down, keep working."

Ball hasn't stepped onto an NBA court since January 2022 thanks to his persistent knee trouble. The seriousness of his situation was immediately made clear when reports of his most surgery surfaced, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski writing at the time "there are concerns about Ball's ability to resume his career."

For the 26-year-old, the fact the Bulls haven't been the same time without him adds to the general difficulty of missing so much time.

"It's gonna be a big what-if for me," he said on Trae Young's From the Point podcast in August. "I feel bad just for the GMs because I feel like they made the perfect team around me and I felt like that was the most I've ever been involved in an organization.

"I finally got the perfect team that I felt like could fit my game and play my way."

By the time Ball returns, Chicago's roster could look a lot different. DeMar DeRozan is a free agent, and Zach LaVine's impending foot surgery makes the franchise's long-term outlook even more grim.

As Ball alluded to in his conversation with Young, the Bulls' competitive window may be closed already.