Lonzo Ball

Given the long, 1,000-plus-day road associated with his return to the NBA hardwood, one could reason that, with his availability again consistent, there was only one way for Lonzo Ball to reintroduce himself: a trademark, length-of-the-floor pass. Ultimately the X-factor in the Chicago Bulls’ come-from-behind win on January 6, 2025, the versatile floor general kickstarts the rally, first by undercutting the San Antonio Spurs’ alley-oop attempt before immediately surveying the fastbreak scene. In a creative, brilliant show of core strength, Ball uncorks a one-legged, underhand pass that soars beyond every player on-court, and perfectly into the hands of his teammate, setting the path for a crowd-igniting jam. At the time of Ball’s two-way sequence, the Bulls — behind by double-figures in the third quarter — had just a 12.0 percent win probability. Paramount in helping guide the strategy change that spurred the end-of-game 11-0 run, Ball concluded with five points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals, one 3-pointer, and a +7 plus-minus.