Former LA Lakers Guard 'Scared' To Leave Family In US Due To Coronavirus, Holds Return To China

In hopes of resuming their basketball season, the Chinese Basketball League announced that the current season will resume on April 15 and are asking their foreign players to return to China so they could join their ballclubs and play for their respective teams once again. The season was halted due to the coronavirus spread in China earlier this year.

Reports from CBS Sports said that the league is requiring their foreign players to finish their season or face a lifetime ban and not play in their league again. The players were also ordered to be quarantined for 14 days before joining their team’s practices.

One of those foreign players who wanted to return to the hardwood is Lance Stephenson, who plays for the Liaoning Flying Leopards. Unlike his fellow foreign player Jeremy Lin of the Beijing Ducks, the 29-year old guard did not board the plane and decided to stay in the US.

According to the reports from The Score, Stephenson, who last played in the NBA last season for the Los Angeles Lakers, said that leaving for China isn’t a comfortable choice for him to make, especially to those people that he will be leaving in the US.

"I was definitely scared to go back,” said the nine-year NBA veteran. “Even though they were saying it was OK, I was scared to leave my family.”

“My family is here, and I just wanted to be as safe as possible," Stephenson said of his family based in Las Vegas.

Despite the suspension, Stephenson said that he’d love to back to China. “They love the game. Every game is packed and they showed me so much love. The fans there embracing me and being so into the game made me love the game even more."

But still, the family is on top of his priorities.

"But as of right now, I'd rather be with my family than sitting out there and being scared for me and my family."

Now that the plans of the season returning on April 15 were scrapped by the CBA, Per Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the league decided to continue the indefinite suspension because of fears that there might be asymptomatic personnel or a player that will show up on games.

"It was a big family decision “This coronavirus stuff is tough on everybody,” said Stephenson who is averaging 26.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in his first season with the Chinese league.