Hot Newsslotbet NBA: Lonzo Ball agrees to a 2-year extension with Bulls
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) calls to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
MINNEAPOLIS — The Chicago Bulls and point guard Lonzo Ball agreed to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday, rewarding the 27-year-old after he battled back from injuries that caused him to miss two seasons.
Ball is averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 assists per game in 30 games this season after he was forced out of the previous two seasons due to multiple issues with his left knee. He underwent a cartilage and meniscus transplant in the knee last year after several procedures failed to fix his injury.
While 161 countries, regions and 9 international organizations have expressed their intention to participate in Expo 2025 in Osaka, special attention is directed toward Southeast Asian nations. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and East Timor have confirmed their participation. Japan holds high hopes for Southeast Asia in three key areas.
During the bilateral meeting Tuesday night, the two leaders discussed deepening economic cooperation, particularly trade and agriculture, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a social media post.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD; NBA: Lonzo Ball makes long-awaited return from knee injuries
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Chicago played without Ball (left knee injury management) on Wednesday for the second game of a back-to-back after beating Miami a night earlier. Ball had played eight games in a row but is still not playing both games of a back-to-back.
9club slotArticle continues after this advertisementREAD: NBA: Lonzo Ball sidelined at least 10 days with wrist injury
Article continues after this advertisementHe played in 35 games in his first season with the Bulls in 2021-22 before the injuries sidelined him. He made his return in October.
Article continues after this advertisementChicago reportedly had trade suitors for Ball, but the team decided to keep him despite seemingly being in a rebuild after the trade of Zach LaVine to Sacramento over the weekend.
“We felt like he was an important piece to that, in terms of helping people,” Donovan said of Ball’s impact. “He’s got a great IQ. He knows how to play and I think anytime you have a point guard that’s got that kind of IQ, he makes people around him better.”
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