Did Lonzo Ball just call it a career? Former No. 2 pick explains cryptic post-tense comments
The Cavaliers free agent explains why his comments were misunderstood
Lonzo Ball briefly had basketball fans wondering whether his NBA career was over, but the former No. 2 overall pick has now made it clear that retirement isn't on his mind just yet.
The 28-year-old guard sparked speculation after speaking openly about his injury-plagued career during the latest episode of the “Ball in the Family” podcast. Ball reflected on the opportunities basketball had given him and admitted that he never reached the level he believed he could have.
“To be honest, I don't think I ever got to my peak,” Ball said. “I feel like I gave everything I had to hoop and I feel like everything I got in my life is because of hoop.
“So I'm grateful to even make it to the league and even be able to play for nine years. That's how I look at it.”
Ball's comments quickly spread online, with some fans interpreting his words as a farewell. His reflections on fulfilling his childhood dream of playing in the NBA, combined with his acceptance of what his body would allow him to do, certainly sounded like a player looking back on a completed career.
However, Ball hadn't actually announced his retirement.
Lonzo says he's still waiting for an NBA opportunity
The former UCLA star put the speculation to rest Wednesday with a post on X. Responding sarcastically to reports that he had retired, Ball wrote: “I retired? News to me lol cuz I'm still waiting for a call… NBA season long ”
The message confirms that Ball remains interested in playing and is currently waiting for an NBA team to offer him an opportunity. He's an unrestricted free agent after spending the 2025-26 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ball's career has taken a difficult route since the Los Angeles Lakers selected him second overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.
After two seasons in Los Angeles, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers. He later joined the Chicago Bulls, where his career was dramatically disrupted by a serious left-knee injury.
The injury required several procedures and forced Ball to miss the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He eventually returned to NBA action in 2024-25, completing a comeback that had once seemed uncertain.
Ball then moved to Cleveland and appeared in 35 games during the 2025-26 season. He averaged 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while playing 20.8 minutes a night.
Despite his latest struggles, Ball's own words indicate that he hasn't closed the door on basketball. His podcast appearance was seemingly more about coming to terms with what injuries had taken from him than announcing the end of his career.
