There is no day when Lonzo Ball is not grateful for its left knee.
When he performed a third and final surgery in March 2023, the Chicago Bulls Guard felt something that felt close to a miracle. For about two years, he could not escape chronic pain in his knee. But an unprecedented process associated with many cartilage implants gave the ball a second chance in a pain-free life-and their NBA career.
And on Wednesday, there was an additional source of gratitude in the ball: meeting Alex Renhart’s family, the donor for part of his knee implants allowed his unexpected comeback this season.
Alex’s mother, for Angie, has provided another opportunity to mourn and persuade her son by looking back at the court with bulls.
“It seems that it is a blessing that he is able to play a little of Alex,” Angi said.
Ball, 27, hosted Angie; Alex’s father, Carl; Brothers Seth and Cole; And at the United Center for Wednesday’s fiance, Kia, Miami Heat at the United Center for the game. The family first met the ball in court before the game.
Angie shed tears by hugging Carl and repeatedly thanked each family member for Alex’s contribution.
At one point, the ball tagged the hem of his sweatpant to see his knee, which is with a tapestry of scars-a depiction of a journey of about three years to return to the court was empowered by a collection of tissue, bone and other cases obtained from donors.
“It changed my life,” the ball said.
Alex died in February 2023 at the age of 20. Over the years, the Reinhard family has received letters from Alex to stop from other recipients of transplantation. Earlier this year, there was a slightly different call from the Iowa donor network.
A representative reported that a high-profile athlete wanted to come in contact for the donation of Alex to show his praise. After several weeks of correspondence and paperwork, the ball was manifested as recipients.
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The ball received an average condile transplant through an allograft from Alex, which helped repair its knee part that connects to the femur. The process was part of a comprehensive repair job that included the transplantation of meniscus and other cartilage in the knee of the ball.
Renhards were already familiar with the ball situation. Angie is a professional therapist. Carl is a medical sales rape. So they understood the seriousness of the ball injury – and the unprecedented nature of his attempted return.
“We knew how difficult it would be to come back to someone with this surgery to play basketball,” Angie said.
Bulls Guard Lonzo Ball interacted with the donor’s family for his left -knee surgery before a game against Heat at the United Center on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune)
Alex was also an athlete. He wrestled and threw shot put and discus at high school, then played football for Morningside University in Iowa. He was a child who always demanded adventure: scuba diving, target shooting, skiing black diamonds.
Angie wants her to be remembered for her kindness and humor, describing her son as the life of any room he entered.
“Alex was a very funny man,” said Angie. “He was wild and sharp. He preferred to do everything fast – downhill skiing, tubing behind the boat, whatever it was.”
Reinhards did not see the ball playing on his renovated knee on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a sprain right wrist that has kept him out of the late February.
But it did not matter to Angie and her family, who were grateful to the opportunity to see Alex’s legacy in Chicago.
“It’s extremely emotional,” said Angie. “But the great happiness also comes with it. Of course we want him to be here. But he was the child who always preferred to help people. So to be able to help people after his death, it seems really like a blessing.”
Originally published: CDT at 6:00 am on April 10, 2025