Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who has largely stayed out of the public eye since his knee injury in January 2022, recently broke his silence to address comments made by Stephen A. Smith. Known for avoiding the spotlight and abstaining from social media, Ball took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a video of himself performing one-legged squats in response to Smith's remarks about his mobility.
On Tuesday's "First Take," the outspoken Stephen A. Smith claimed, "I heard it's even hard for [Ball] to get up from a sitting position." Ball, demonstrating his determination to prove Smith wrong, posted the video of his workout on his surgically-repaired left knee. He directly addressed Smith, saying: "Stephen A., who are your sources, bro? Please tell me who your sources are. Come on, man, you gotta stop yapping. And I actually like you, man. I don't even know you like that, but I like you. I'm coming back, man! Come on!"
Despite not participating in the NBA this season due to his ongoing recovery from his third knee surgery in less than two years, the 25-year-old Ball remains steadfast in his commitment to the Chicago Bulls. He aims to replicate the impact he had when he joined the team in 2021. During that season, with Lonzo running the offense and excelling in defensive matchups against rival guards, the Bulls ranked among the league's top teams.
However, the Bulls' fortunes took a hit when Lonzo suffered his injury. Although they reached the playoffs that year, they were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. In the subsequent season, the Bulls failed to qualify for the NBA Playoffs and couldn't achieve a .500 record for the year.