Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Lonzo Ball’s Emotional Meeting with Donor Alex Reinhardt’s Family After Knee Transplant

Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Lonzo Ball was drafted as the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Lakers. While he struggled initially to play in the NBA, a couple of seasons later, he fixed his jump shot and became one of the best point guards in the NBA. Not because of his scoring ability, but particularly because of his passing and his on-ball defense. Ball has one of the best court-visions in the NBA, and if you watch his highlights, it is mostly half-court lobs, flashy passes, and his basketball I.Q that stands out.

Even though Lonzo may not be as talented as his brother LaMelo who currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets, he has been the perfect pure point guard that a team needs. He can be best compared to Rajon Rondo, whose passing was simply unbelievable to watch.

Also Read: Dallas Maverick Fans Demand GM Nico Harrison’s Firing- Why Did the Mavs Trade Luka Doncic Away?

Lonzo Ball’s Injury Which Kept Him Out for 1000 Plus Days!

Lonzo Ball has battled a lot of adversity in his career. Whether it’s his father LaVar Ball putting him on the spot, calling Lonzo the best player of all time before even setting foot in the NBA, or a knee injury which kept him out for 1009 days.

Ball was traded to the Chicago Bulls from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2021, and with the signing of DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine playing as the shooting guard, the Bulls looked great on paper. When the 2021-22 season started, the Bulls looked phenomenal to begin the season. They looked similar to the Lob City Clippers, who had Chris Paul throwing lobs to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan all the time. However, Lonzo Ball was sidelined in January of 2022 with a left knee injury, and he went on to miss the rest of the 2021-2022 season, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 seasons.

LONZO BALL IS FINALLY BACK AFTER 2 YEARS 😭

THEN HITS HIS 1ST SHOT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zCxUiJZGOZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 17, 2024

At the time multiple reports stated that Ball’s knee injury was something that the doctors had never seen before, and we were not sure if Ball would even come back to play in the NBA. However, after multiple knee surgeries and a knee cartilage donation by late Alex Reinhardt, Ball was finally able to play basketball again this season.

Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Welcomes Family of Late Donor Alex Reinhardt

Lonzo Ball recently got to meet the family of late Alex Reinhardt, who donated knee cartilage to Ball in 2023.

Before the Chicago Bulls’ 119-111 victory against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Lonzo Ball autographed jerseys and posed for photos with the family of Alex Reinhardt, a 20-year old from Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, who passed away in February of 2023.

Angie Reinhardt, Alex’s mother, said that “It’s just a blessing to be able to watch people do well with their knees and anything because of Alex. Of course, we wish he was here.” She also talked about how she received a call from the donor network, who stated that an athlete who received some of Alex’s tissue was interested in meeting his family. That athlete happened to be Ball, who soon setup a meeting right after.

In 2023, Alex Reinhardt tragically passed away at the age of 20. His family was told his tissue donation went to "an elite athlete." They learned last week that their son's donation went to Lonzo Ball and it's helping him come back stronger than ever after his knee surgery. pic.twitter.com/ID8utM3x5V
— Kacy Standohar (@kacystandohar) April 10, 2025

Also Read: JJ Redick Had a Hilarious Take on Doncic After He Dropped 45 Against the Mavs

Chicago Bulls

Lonzo Ball

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Eric Divakaran

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nfl

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I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I’m built like a Running Back. But now that I can’t, since I’m technically in the “Unc” age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it’s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.