Tall Blacks centre Rob Loe has cut ties with his club in Japan after just two games, returning home to New Zealand to keep himself safe from coronavirus.
Loe had signed on to play with the Paul Henare-coached Kagawa Five Arrows during his NZ Breakers' off-season, but chose to end his three-month stint early, citing concerns over the league's substandard approach to testing.
He will join fellow Tall Black Isaac Fotu, who is already in self-isolation in his Auckland house.
Fotu has everything he needs to get through 14 days of isolation - Playstation, food, coffee, and a table and bed.
The Tall Blacks forward is home from Italy, after the Italian Basketball League was cancelled, when coronavirus took hold.
"Northern Italy was one of the biggest hit in the world, so I know what happens when you don't contain this thing," Fotu told Newshub.
Fotu is one of the Kiwis fortunate enough to have escaped. Tall Blacks teammate Corey Webster isn't - he's still stuck in an apartment in Rome.
"[It's a ] bad situation for him, because he came from China where the league was closed, then he came to Italy and the same happened over there," Fotu said.
Loe is also on his way home, making the tough call to leave Japan after just two games.
Loe wasn't in a region hit hard by the coronavirus, but took issue with the league's questionable testing protocols.
"The testing has not been great," Loe told Newshub. "I wouldn't say the league's taken the greatest care of players [in Japan].
"Every other league in the world is suspended right now and we are still playing. I kind of had to take matters into my hands a little bit.
"I guess people have been getting fevers, and pulling out of games and things. It's kind of scary."
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