History of Lonzo Ball in Timeline

Lonzo Ball is an American professional basketball player, a point guard who played college basketball for UCLA before being drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA draft. He earned consensus first-team All-American honors during his single season with the Bruins. Ball was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2018. He last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Full Timeline

1992: NCAA Division I Player Stats

In 1992, Lonzo Ball became the first NCAA Division I player since 1992-93 to achieve specific shooting percentages.

1993: Reference to Jason Kidd

In 1993, Jason Kidd achieved a similar record to Lonzo Ball, averaging at least 14 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.

October 27, 1997: Lonzo Ball's Birth

On October 27, 1997, Lonzo Anderson Ball was born. He later became a professional basketball player.

1997: Reference to Ahlon Lewis

In 1997, Ahlon Lewis recorded 294 assists, the most in a season by a Pac-12 player.

1999: Rebound Record Reference

In 1999, Steve Francis had 17 rebounds, setting a record for NBA rookie guards until Lonzo Ball surpassed it.

2000: Rebound Record Reference

In 2000, Steve Francis had 17 rebounds, setting a record for NBA rookie guards until Lonzo Ball surpassed it.

2008: Summer League MVP

During the 2017 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Ball was named the league MVP, the first in Vegas since 2008.

2014: Junior Year Stats

In 2014, during his junior year at Chino Hills High School, Lonzo Ball averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals per game.

November 2015: Signed Letter of Intent to UCLA

In November 2015, Lonzo Ball signed a National Letter of Intent to attend UCLA and play for the Bruins.

2015: D'Angelo Russell Trade

In 2015, D'Angelo Russell was traded to clear the way for the newly drafted Lonzo Ball.

2016: Rated as a Five-Star Recruit

By the end of his senior year in 2016, Lonzo Ball was rated as a consensus five-star recruit.

2016: Freshman at UCLA

In 2016, Lonzo Ball started his freshman year at UCLA, being named to the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award.

2016: High School Player of the Year Honors

In 2016, as a senior at Chino Hills High School, Lonzo Ball received multiple national high school player of the year awards and led his team to an undefeated 35-0 record.

February 4, 2017: Game against Washington Huskies

On February 4, 2017, Lonzo Ball scored 22 points in a win against the Washington Huskies in front of NBA executives.

May 2017: Release of the ZO2 shoe

In May 2017, Big Baller Brand announced the release of Lonzo Ball's first shoe, the ZO2. The $495 price tag on the shoe sparked wide criticism from celebrities and on social media.

September 2017: Released first rap single "Melo Ball 1"

In September 2017, Lonzo Ball released his first rap single, "Melo Ball 1", an ode to his youngest brother, LaMelo. During that same month, he released the song "ZO2", a dedication to his own brand of shoes.

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October 20, 2017: Career-High 29 Points

On October 20, 2017, Lonzo Ball scored a then career-high 29 points in a game against the Phoenix Suns.

December 20, 2017: Named the logo for the Junior Basketball Association

On December 20, 2017, Lonzo Ball was announced as the logo for the Junior Basketball Association (JBA), a league his father LaVar planned to establish. The logo of the JBA is an outline of Ball.

2017: Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers

In 2017, Lonzo Ball was drafted as the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers.

January 13, 2018: Sprained MCL

On January 13, 2018, Lonzo Ball sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee against the Dallas Mavericks, sidelining him for several weeks.

February 15, 2018: Participated in Lip Sync Battle and released debut album

On February 15, 2018, Lonzo Ball and his father participated in the Lip Sync Battle as competitors. That same day, Ball released his debut album, Born 2 Ball, under the name Zo. The album would be released under the Big Baller Music Group.

April 6, 2018: Jordan Crawford wears ZO2s

On April 6, 2018, Jordan Crawford became the first player besides Lonzo Ball to wear the ZO2s during a game.

July 17, 2018: Knee Surgery

On July 17, 2018, Lonzo Ball underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus.

2018: Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

In 2018, Lonzo Ball was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

January 19, 2019: Ankle sprain against the Houston Rockets

On January 19, 2019, Lonzo Ball suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, including a torn ligament, during a game against the Houston Rockets after colliding with James Ennis III. Ball left the game with 11 assists in 22 minutes. The Lakers lost the game in overtime 138–134.

March 2019: Cut ties with Alan Foster

In March 2019, Lonzo Ball told ESPN that he had cut his ties with BBB's manager and co-founder Alan Foster, accusing him of enriching himself through Ball's business and personal finances, stating that $1.5 million of his personal money had gone missing.

July 6, 2019: Traded to the New Orleans Pelicans

On July 6, 2019, Lonzo Ball was traded by the Lakers to the New Orleans Pelicans along with Ingram, Josh Hart, the draft rights to De'Andre Hunter, two first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap and cash in exchange for All-Star Anthony Davis.

January 18, 2020: First Triple-Double of the Season

On January 18, 2020, Lonzo Ball recorded his first triple-double of the season with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 133–130 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

March 2020: Performance from December 2019 to March 2020

From December 2019 to March 2020, Lonzo Ball averaged 12.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 39.2% from three, during a 45-game span.

2020: Pelicans coach placed Ball in a 3-and-D role

Heading into the 2020–21 season, Ball was at his healthiest, and New Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy placed him in a 3-and-D role, which he had never played before.

January 29, 2021: Tied Career-High Three-Pointers

On January 29, 2021, Lonzo Ball matched his then career-high seven three-pointers and scored a season-high 27 points, in a 131–126 win over the Bucks.

August 8, 2021: Traded to the Chicago Bulls

On August 8, 2021, Lonzo Ball was traded to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal. The Pelicans received Tomáš Satoranský, Garrett Temple and draft picks. He signed a four-year, $85 million contract extension with the Bulls.

January 20, 2022: Knee surgery and absence announcement

On January 20, 2022, after missing three games with a meniscus tear, the Bulls announced that Lonzo Ball would undergo surgery on his left knee and miss six to eight weeks.

2022: Knee Injury Sidelines Ball

In 2022, Lonzo Ball was sidelined for the majority of his tenure with the Chicago Bulls due to a persistent knee injury.

February 21, 2023: Ruled out for the remainder of the season

On February 21, 2023, the Bulls announced that Lonzo Ball would be out for the remainder of the season due to recurring discomfort during participation in basketball activities.

March 16, 2023: Underwent cartilage transplant in left knee

On March 16, 2023, Lonzo Ball underwent a cartilage transplant in his left knee.

June 2023: Doubt about playing in the 2023-24 season

In June 2023, Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas said that the team does not expect Lonzo Ball to be able to play in the 2023–24 season.

2023: Continued Absence Due to Injury

In 2023, Lonzo Ball missed the entirety of the season due to a persistent knee injury.

January 2024: Expected to start running

In December, Chicago head coach Billy Donovan said that Lonzo Ball was expected to start running in January 2024.

May 2024: Meniscus transplant revealed

In May 2024, Lonzo Ball revealed that he also received a meniscus transplant for his knee.

July 2024: Cleared to participate in full-contact scrimmages

In July 2024, Lonzo Ball was cleared to participate in full-contact five-on-five scrimmages.

2024: Trade to Cleveland Cavaliers

After the 2024-2025 season, Lonzo Ball was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

January 12, 2025: First start in nearly three years

On January 12, 2025, Lonzo Ball made his first start in nearly three years, scoring 15 points and three assists in a 124–119 loss to the Sacramento Kings.