Sports Illustrated’s annual “Where Are They Now?” issue catches up with the stars and prominent figures from yesteryear—past features have included Sammy Sosa, Brett Favre, Dennis Rodman, Tony Hawk and Don King. The 2019 issue features an inside look into the new life of Alex Rodriguez, Yao Ming’s mission for Chinese basketball and more.
For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
To escape the troubled world they had first left men's society
They live as if become immortals, no reason now to return
"Peach Blossom Journey"
—Wang Wei, eighth century, Tang Dynasty
Many more famous players have followed his path, but one of the first Americans to join the Chinese Basketball Association was a 6'8" rebounding machine named John Spencer, who signed a $20,000-per-month contract before the league's second season, in August 1996, to play for a team owned by a steel company.