CHICAGO – After spending the summer in rehab in Los Angeles and seeking different opinions from knee specialists, Bulls guard Lonzo Pool He said he is still unable to run or jump without feeling pain in his left knee, which is why he is due to have another knee surgery on Wednesday.
“There was a point where we’d warm up and stuff and I’d go through certain days and it would be fine,” Paul said during a video call with reporters on Tuesday. “Then whenever I got involved in real basketball activities, I couldn’t do it. Unfortunately, that’s what’s on hand and has to be dealt with. We feel that surgery, once again, is the best option.”
The Bulls held their first team practice of the season on Tuesday afternoon while Paul was in Los Angeles preparing for his second surgery on his left knee since January and his third in his career — including a procedure in 2018 while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul said he will be returning to Chicago to be with the team for his post-surgery rehabilitation.
“For me, this will be my third surgery, so this time I don’t really want to rush into anything,” he said.
The Bulls said Ball is due to be reassessed within four to six weeks after surgery, but both the team and Ball have been reluctant to schedule his return this season. However, Paul did not believe his knee would make him miss the entire 2022-23 season.
“That’s not on my mind right now, but that would be the worst case scenario,” Paul said. “Now I’m at a point where I know I can’t go back there until I feel comfortable playing and I can actually play. So whenever that day comes, I’ll wear the shirt again.”
Not only was Paul involved in his activities on the basketball court, he said he had problems climbing stairs and in daily movements. The constant discomfort in his knee has left doctors, the team and the ball amazed by his prolonged problems. He said the surgery this week was as much about identifying problems as it was about solving them.
“It’s my understanding that they’re going there to see what it is,” Paul said. “Because it doesn’t necessarily show up on the MRI, but something is clearly not right. So they’ll go over it, look at it, and whatever needs to be done will be done.
“I’ve never felt pain like this or been able to intensify a little but not completely, so definitely a unique situation. Doctors and bulls, we’re all trying to figure out what it is. Like I said, we all came to the conclusion that it was time for surgery.”
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