Los Angeles Laker guard Lonzo Ball received a platelet-rich plasma shot at the end of the season to heal a left knee that bothered him throughout the year, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
The injection sidelined Ball for a month. The UCLA product was cleared last week to resume on-court activities after spending the month off the court.
“I just got back [on the court],” Ball told ESPN at the Big Baller Brand Junior Basketball Association media day at Citizens Business Bank Arena, where he joined his father and brothers. “But I have been lifting weights. Nothing stopped me from doing that. I just got back on the court though, but everything is feeling good.”
“Just basically took time off [to let the knee heal],” added Ball. “They [treated] it and it feels good now.”
Ball averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds last season, but played in just 52 games in his rookie season. The guard also struggled from the field, shooting 36 percent from the field overall and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc, historically bad percentages.
Still, his impact was noticeable despite his struggles from the line. More appropriately, though, his impact when he wasn’t on the court was felt as well as the Lakers often struggled to replace his contributions in his absence.
For the Lakers, this procedure, which has become increasingly common around the league, will alleviate some of the issues surrounding Ball and his injury and allow him to remain on the court more consistently in what is shaping up to be a potentially memorable year in 2018-19.
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