Lonzo Ball's NBA future has come into question several times over the past few seasons. Injury concerns have certainly held him back, leading to speculation that he might retire from professional play.
Recently, he addressed rumors that he was hanging it up, putting an end to the speculation by claiming he's not done yet.
On the Sept. 22 episode of the " Ball in the Family " podcast, Ball made a statement that could be interpreted as though he's considering retirement.
He told retired NBA guard Gilbert Arenas that he "gave everything" he had to basketball. Then, followed this up by saying that he was "grateful" for having made it into the league.
These comments from the 2017 second overall pick were misinterpreted as him considering retirement. It went viral on social media, with several people saying it sounded like he was considering calling it quits.
On Tuesday's episode of the same podcast, the former Los Angeles Lakers guard addressed the rumors.
"I never made a speech, bro. I was just being honest on our pod," he said regarding the prior statement he made .
Later, he also admitted that he is still dealing with health concerns.
"I feel like anybody that's been through major surgery, you ain't never going to get back to where you're supposed to be," he shared. "You're always going to have to manage it, deal with it, that's what I'm doing. I'm not pain-free, but I could play."
This is not the first time the six-foot-five guard has addressed rumors about his retirement. Immediately after the speculation came out, he addressed it on X.
"I retired? News to me lol cuz I'm still waiting for a call… NBA season long 🤷🏻♂️
" he posted
.
At the moment, Ball is an unrestricted free agent. Last season, he showed he could still suit up, playing 35 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He averaged 20.8 minutes per game, which is the smallest amount of playing time he's seen in his career. He posted 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists to go along with 1.3 steals.
A team needing depth in the backcourt could certainly look to him as an answer and give him a call this season. However, teams might also be cautious about his health.
His track record shows that his injury concerns will always be a lingering issue, as he has never played more than 65 games in a season.
The most games he's suited up in over the course of a regular season was 63, which was back in 2019-20 with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The following season, he played in 55 games, and then 35 in the next. After that, he missed two full seasons.
In March 2023, he had surgery on his left knee, where a meniscus and cartilage transplant was performed.
Ball has shown that he is still one of the league's most talented playmakers, as he was last season. If a team decides to take a chance on him, they could end up rediscovering why he was once the second overall pick, even with limited playing time.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
