Questions about whether Lonzo Ball’s NBA career was already over have followed him for years. Those rumors have been fueled by a knee injury that wiped out two full seasons and left former teammates and podcast voices alike openly wondering if he should walk away.
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Ball wasted little time responding once the retirement headlines started spreading.
“I retired? News to me lol cuz I’m still waiting for a call… NBA season long,” he tweeted, pushing back on the suggestion that he had announced his departure.
The confusion stemmed from remarks Ball made on his family’s Ball in the Family podcast, where he reflected on nine NBA seasons and the knee injuries that threatened to end his career. His tone was grateful rather than regretful, but his words sounded to many like a possible farewell.
Reflecting on his nine years in the league during an appearance on the ‘Ball in the Family’ podcast, he didn’t sugarcoat how brutal the injury battles had been, but spoke about gratitude rather than regret.
“It wasn’t as hard as probably people would think, only because I felt like I never shortchanged the game,” he said. “I feel like I gave everything I had to hoop, and I thought everything I got in my life is because of hoop. So I’m grateful to even make it to the league and be able to play for nine years.”
Lonzo Ball went further, acknowledging the financial security that came just before his knee problems spiraled.
“I’m also grateful that I got to sign that deal before the shit happened,” Ball added. “I don’t think I ever got to my peak … So it’s like, damn, I still got to make it up there and play and put the jersey on and do everything I wanted to do as a kid. That was enough for me.”
Ball had shown signs of reaching another level before injuries changed the course of his career. During the 2020-21 season with New Orleans, he averaged a career-high 14.6 points in 55 games while shooting 37.8 percent from the 3-point range. That campaign helped lead to his move to Chicago the following offseason and gives context to his belief that he never reached his full peak.
For a player drafted second overall by the Lakers in 2017, Ball spent his first two NBA seasons in Los Angeles before the Lakers traded him to New Orleans as part of the 2019 Anthony Davis deal. He later played for the Pelicans, Bulls, and Cavaliers before Cleveland traded him to Utah in February 2026. The Jazz waived Ball shortly afterward, and the comments quickly fueled retirement speculation.
Ball’s response, however, made his position clear: He has not announced his retirement and remains open to another NBA opportunity. He is currently a free agent after Utah waived him in February.
The podcast comments were nevertheless candid. Ball’s injury history had long raised questions about his future, and former NBA guard Jeff Teague publicly argued in January that Ball should stop playing. However, Teague’s view was an opinion, not a medical or official assessment of Ball’s career. For that, only time will tell what the star will decide.