Bulls' Lonzo Ball meets family of donor for his unprecedented knee transplant: 'It changed my life'

Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune on Apr 10, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

CHICAGO — There’s never a day when Lonzo Ball isn’t grateful for his left knee.

When he underwent a third and final surgery in March 2023, the Chicago Bulls guard experienced something that felt close to a miracle. For almost two years, he couldn’t escape the chronic pain in his knee. But an unprecedented procedure involving multiple cartilage transplants gave Ball a second chance at a pain-free life — and his NBA career.

And on Wednesday, Ball had an extra source of gratitude: meeting the family of Alex Reinhardt, the donor for part of his knee transplant that allowed his unlikely return this season.

For Alex’s mother, Angie, seeing Ball back on the court with the Bulls has provided another opportunity to both mourn and celebrate her son.

“It feels like such a blessing to be able to watch him play with a little bit of Alex,” Angie said.

Ball, 27, hosted Angie; Alex’s father, Carl; brothers Seth and Cole; and Cole’s fiancee, Kia, at the United Center for Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat. The family met Ball for the first time on the court before the game.

Angie burst into tears as Ball embraced Carl and repeatedly thanked each family member for Alex’s contribution.

At one point Ball tugged up the hem of his sweatpants so the Reinhardts could see his knee, which is laced with a tapestry of scars — an illustration of a nearly three-year journey to return to the court that was empowered by a collection of tissue, bone and other matter received from donors.

“It changed my life,” Ball said.

Alex died in February 2023 at age 20. In the years since, the Reinhardt family has received intermittent letters from other recipients of transplants from Alex. Earlier this year, a slightly different call came from the Iowa Donor Network.

A representative explained that a high-profile athlete wanted to get in contact to show his appreciation for Alex’s donation. After several weeks of correspondence and paperwork, Ball was revealed as the recipient.

Ball received a medial condyle transplant from Alex through an allograft, which helped with the repair of the part of his knee that connects to the femur. The procedure was part of an extensive repair job that included transplants of the meniscus and other cartilage in Ball’s knee.

The Reinhardts were already familiar with Ball’s situation. Angie is an occupational therapist. Carl is a medical sales rep. So they understood the severity of Ball’s injury — and the unprecedented nature of his attempted return.

“We knew about how hard it would be for somebody to come back with this surgery to play basketball,” Angie said.

Alex was an athlete too. He wrestled and threw shot put and discus in high school, then played football for Morningside University in Iowa. He was the kind of kid who always sought adventure: scuba diving, target shooting, skiing black diamonds.

Angie wants him to be remembered for his kindness and humor, describing her son as the life of any room he entered.

“Alex was a pretty funny guy,” Angie said. “He was kind of wild and fast. He liked to do everything fast — downhill skiing, tubing behind the boat, whatever it was.”

The Reinhardts didn’t get to see Ball play on his reconstructed knee Wednesday as he continues to recover from a sprained right wrist that has kept him out since the end of February.

But that didn’t matter to Angie and her family, who were grateful for the opportunity to see Alex’s legacy living on in Chicago.

“It’s been extremely emotional,” Angie said. “But so much happiness comes with it too. Of course we wish he was here. But he was the kid that always liked to help people. So for him to be able to keep helping people after his death, it really feels like a blessing.”