NASHVILLE -- A FEW WEEKS before the start of training camp, a Chicago Bulls executive flew to Los Angeles to check on Lonzo Ball.
It has been more than 20 months since Ball played in an NBA game, with three knee surgeries and a few devastating setbacks under his belt. And while what the executive observed from Ball as he completed his daily rehab process might have seemed mundane, it was notable.
Ball hasn't progressed to the point in his rehab where he has picked up a basketball, but the progress he has made, though small, gave the 2017 No.