Lonzo Anderson Ball Bio
Lonzo Anderson Ball (born October 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, he played one season of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, earning consensus first-team All-American honors before the Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the second overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2018. Ball is known for his exceptional court vision, playmaking ability, and defensive prowess throughout his professional career.
Early Life and Background
Ball was born in Anaheim, California, to LaVar and Tina Ball, who were both former college basketball players. The 6-foot-6-inch Ball started playing basketball at the age of two. He idolized LeBron James and began following the NBA star around age six while James was a first-year player with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ball grew up with his younger brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo in Chino Hills, California.
Until the brothers reached high school, the trio played together on teams coached by their father LaVar. Ball attended Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. As a junior in 2014-15, he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals per game. In his senior year, Ball led the school to a 35-0 record and a state title, with the Huskies ranked as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation. His younger brothers were also on the team during this remarkable season.
Ball averaged a triple-double with 23.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 11.7 assists per game as a senior. He received national honors including the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, USA Today Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and Mr. Basketball USA. By the end of his senior year, Ball was rated as a consensus five-star recruit in the 2016 high school class and ranked as the No. 4 overall recruit in the nation. In November 2015, he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend UCLA.
Path to Professional Basketball
Ball joined UCLA as a highly decorated five-star recruit with sky-high expectations. As a freshman in 2016-17, he was one of 50 players named to the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award. Ball’s vision and passing skills led UCLA’s rise up the national rankings as he and fellow freshman T. J. Leaf helped the Bruins bounce back from a 15-17 record the previous year to a 31-5 record.
Ball led the nation in assists and transformed the Bruins into the top scoring offense in the country. In his first collegiate game against Pacific, he recorded 19 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. He was named MVP of the Wooden Legacy tournament after leading UCLA to the championship. Ball broke Gary Payton’s 30-year-old Pac-12 season record for assists by a freshman and surpassed Larry Drew II’s school record for most assists in a single season.
For the season, Ball averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. He became the first NCAA Division I player since 1992-93 to make at least 70 percent from 2-point range and 40 percent from 3-point range. Ball was a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Wayman Tisdale Award as the top freshman in the nation. He was the only freshman that year to be a finalist for the Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, and Oscar Robertson Trophy. He was also voted Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and received numerous additional honors.
Lonzo Anderson Ball Career
Los Angeles Lakers (2017-2019)
Ball was selected with the second overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft by his hometown team the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the third straight year they had the No. 2 pick. Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson billed Ball as the new face of the Lakers. During the 2017 NBA Summer League, Ball was named league MVP after averaging 16.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He recorded two triple-doubles in Las Vegas, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat since 2008.
As a rookie in 2017-18, Ball played in 52 games, missing 30 games due to shoulder and knee injuries. In his second game of the season, he scored a then career-high 29 points against the Phoenix Suns. On November 11, Ball recorded his first triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming the youngest player at the time to achieve a triple-double at 20 years and 15 days old. He missed the final eight games of the season due to a knee contusion and finished with averages of 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.9 rebounds while making only 36 percent of his field goals.
On July 17, 2018, Ball underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. During the 2018-19 season, he became one of the Lakers’ most dynamic defenders while adjusting to playing off the ball with LeBron James handling the ball. On December 15, 2018, Ball and James became the first Lakers teammates to achieve a triple-double in the same game since Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1982. On January 19, 2019, Ball suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain, which included a torn ligament, and was shut down for the rest of the season in March.
New Orleans Pelicans (2019-2021)
On July 6, 2019, the Lakers traded Ball along with Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and draft assets to New Orleans in exchange for All-Star Anthony Davis. Ball made his debut for the Pelicans on October 22, registering eight points, five rebounds, and five assists in an overtime loss to the defending champion Toronto Raptors. He showed improved shooting, hitting a career-high seven three-pointers while scoring 27 points against the Houston Rockets in December 2019.
On January 18, 2020, Ball recorded his first triple-double of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers. He continued to develop his shooting, averaging 12.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds over a 45-game span from December 2019 to March 2020 while shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range. Heading into the 2020-21 season, Ball was at his healthiest and was placed in a 3-and-D role by new coach Stan Van Gundy.
During the 2020-21 season, Ball set new career highs including eight three-pointers in a game against the Houston Rockets and 33 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He ended the season with career highs in scoring (14.6), 3-point percentage (37.8 percent), field goal percentage (41.4 percent), and free throw percentage (78.1 percent). His assist average dropped to 5.7 per game as the Pelicans utilized Zion Williamson to initiate plays off the dribble. Ball became a restricted free agent during the offseason.
Chicago Bulls (2021-2025)
On August 8, 2021, Ball was traded to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal. He signed a four-year, $85 million contract extension with the Bulls. On October 22, he recorded a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 20, 2022, the Bulls announced that Ball would undergo surgery on his left knee and miss six to eight weeks after suffering a meniscus tear.
Ball played in only 35 games during the 2021-22 season, the fewest in his career. At the time of his injury, Chicago was 27-13 with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Ball was having the best shooting season of his career with career highs in field goal percentage (42 percent) and 3-point percentage (42 percent). He was the only NBA player that season to average five rebounds and five assists while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Ball underwent arthroscopic debridement on his knee. On February 21, 2023, the Bulls announced he would be out for the remainder of the season due to recurring discomfort. He underwent a cartilage transplant in his left knee on March 16, 2023. In June 2023, Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas stated the team did not expect Ball to play during the 2023-24 season. In May 2024, Ball revealed he also received a meniscus transplant for his knee.
In July 2024, Ball was cleared to participate in full-contact five-on-five scrimmages. On October 16, he played his first game since January 14, 2022, in a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On October 23, Ball made his regular season return in the Bulls’ season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 12, 2025, he made his first start in nearly three years, scoring 15 points against the Sacramento Kings. Two weeks later, he recorded a season-high 18 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets. On February 5, 2025, Ball agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension with the Bulls. He made 35 total appearances including 14 starts, averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2025-Present)
On July 6, 2025, Ball was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaac Okoro. He made 35 appearances including three starts for the Cavaliers during the 2025-26 season, recording averages of 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. On February 5, 2026, Ball was traded to the Utah Jazz but was waived the same day.
Playing Style and Strengths
Ball proved to be a do-it-all guard who demonstrated above-average skills in nearly every statistical category throughout his career. He was offensively well-rounded, accumulating eight career triple-doubles, while also being an exceptional perimeter defender. He began his career with an unorthodox jump shot but later adopted a more conventional shooting form that improved his three-point percentage significantly. In college, he led the nation in assists and showed exceptional court vision that drew comparisons to NBA legends. His defensive versatility allowed him to pick up point guards full-court to create turnovers in the backcourt.
Lonzo Anderson Ball Career Highlights
Ball has accumulated notable achievements across high school, college, and professional basketball. In his lone college season, he led the nation in assists while earning consensus first-team All-American honors and winning the Wayman Tisdale Award as the nation’s top freshman. His professional career includes NBA All-Rookie Second Team recognition and eight career triple-doubles despite significant injury setbacks.
College Career Highlights
Ball’s single season at UCLA remains one of the most decorated freshman campaigns in college basketball history. He became the first NCAA Division I player since 1992-93 to make at least 70 percent from 2-point range and 40 percent from 3-point range. He broke Gary Payton’s 30-year-old Pac-12 season record for assists by a freshman and surpassed Larry Drew II’s UCLA single-season assist record. Ball was the only freshman that year to be a finalist for the Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, and Oscar Robertson Trophy while leading the Bruins to a 31-5 record and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Professional Achievements
Ball was named NBA Summer League MVP in 2017 after becoming the first player in league history to record multiple triple-doubles in Summer League play. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2018 and accumulated eight career triple-doubles through the 2025-26 season. His best statistical season came with the Chicago Bulls in 2021-22 before suffering a knee injury that limited him to 35 games. He became the only NBA player that season to average five rebounds and five assists while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range.
Lonzo Anderson Ball Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Ball was born in Anaheim, California, to LaVar and Tina Ball, who were both former college basketball players. His father LaVar played college football and basketball at Cal State Los Angeles and went on to coach his three sons in youth basketball. His mother Tina also played college basketball. Ball grew up alongside his younger brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo, both of whom have pursued professional basketball careers in the NBA. The Ball brothers became a national story during their time at Chino Hills High School, where they led the team to an undefeated season.
Personal Life
In February 2017, Ball’s mother Tina suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for two months. Ball has been in an on-and-off long-term relationship with Denise Garcia, with whom he has a daughter. In August 2017, Ball and his family premiered in their own Facebook Watch reality show titled Ball in the Family. The show chronicled their lives and basketball pursuits. Ball is also a rap music enthusiast and has released several singles and an album titled Born 2 Ball under the stage name Zo.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024-25 season marked Ball’s long-awaited return to NBA action after missing the entirety of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons due to knee injuries. He underwent multiple surgeries including a cartilage transplant and meniscus transplant in his left knee. After being cleared for full-contact scrimmages in July 2024, he made his return in the preseason in October 2024 and his regular season return on October 23, 2024, against his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ball showed steady improvement throughout the season, making his first start in nearly three years on January 12, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings. He recorded a season-high 18 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets two weeks later, demonstrating his scoring ability was returning. On February 5, 2025, he agreed to a two-year, $20 million extension with the Bulls, signaling the team’s confidence in his recovery. He finished the season with 35 total appearances including 14 starts, averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
Following the season, Ball was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2025. His outlook remains positive as he continues to recover from his knee injuries and works toward regaining his pre-injury form. The combination of his playmaking ability, defensive versatility, and improved shooting makes him a valuable contributor for any team seeking a veteran point guard presence.