Lonzo Ball is on the right track to making an unprecedented return to the NBA floor after undergoing three separate knee surgeries since January 2022.
And with a potential return on the helm, his father LaVar Ball jumped on 670 The Score to project when his son can return to playing 5-on-5, full-contact basketball.
"I'm thinking at least four or five months. Four or five months where he can really get dialed and do what he do," LaVar said.
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That projection is consistent with what head coach Billy Donovan reported to the media on March 25.
"You want to monitor how much load he's getting," Donovan said. "He goes in and gets his work done and then he'll shut down. There's no---kind of what (medical) says to me---wasted calories so to speak. He is running and doing all those things. But in terms of him getting to play, I think that will be a slow process of getting him back to that.
"Not that he's behind in any way. It's just more being cautious in terms of understanding that we're moving into April and the hope is he has August and September. That would be two months before training camp started. That's not to sit there and say that he's that far away. He could potentially start playing in July. I just don't know when they're going to clear him to do that. But everything that he's been doing, he hasn't had any setbacks."
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Ball has cleared significant hurdles in his recovery. Most importantly, he isn't experiencing any pain at this juncture. There are videos of Lonzo dunking and smacking the backboard and making quick lateral moves on his own.
According to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, there is a "growing optimism" that Lonzo will at least attempt to play next season. The Bulls brass is rooting for him, especially since he will most likely opt into his $20 million player option for the 2024-25 season.
A Lonzo return would be a historic benchmark in sports medicine history. No professional athlete has ever returned from an injury to the degree of Lonzo's. It would be an unbelievable achievement if he returns, considering he hasn't played in over two years.
But that could all change next season. Does LaVar believe his son will return to the floor next season?
"Yes, I do," LaVar said.