Marcus Denmon heard the news when his overnight flight from China to the U.S. landed on Jan. 24. He was bound for Kansas City to spend time with his wife during the Chinese Basketball Association’s regularly-scheduled Chinese New Year break. He planned to stay about five days, but the messages he received as his plane pulled up to its arrival gate changed his plans.
The Chinese Basketball Association had suspended play indefinitely because of COVID-19.
Two months later, on March 26, the former Mizzou All-American was at the Kansas City airport again, this time for a flight back to China.