How an American basketball player flew 5,000 miles to return home after fleeing Ukraine

His wife Marissa and their four children — ages 8, 5, and 2-year-old twins — were around 5,000 miles away in Maryland. Around 2 a.m., she received a phone call from Lucky. "He said, 'I have to get out of here; I'm leaving, but I have no idea what's going on,'" Marissa told CNN on Tuesday.

Mar 2, 2022 - 10:53 Updated: Mar 2, 2022 - 12:12

How an American basketball player flew 5,000 miles to return home after fleeing Ukraine

A basketball player from Maryland was in Ukraine about a week ago, competing in foreign competitions. He had no idea that he would be on his way back to his home, over 5,000 kilometers away, in a matter of days.

For a little over a month, Lucious "Lucky" Jones had been playing professional basketball in Ternopil, a town about two hours east of Lviv.
Coaches and league officials told him to leave the country early last Thursday, as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

On Monday, Lucky told CNN, "My heart fell." "They called and said, 'Hey, pack your belongings, it's time to leave, they're bombing,'" she added.
Because the other teammates were Ukrainian, he and three of his teammates — two Americans and one Lithuanian — were the only ones told to leave.
"It was extremely frustrating since I had no idea what would happen or what I would do," Lucky explained.

His wife Marissa and their four children — ages 8, 5, and 2-year-old twins — were around 5,000 miles away in Maryland.
Around 2 a.m., she received a phone call from Lucky. "He said, 'I have to get out of here; I'm leaving, but I have no idea what's going on,'" Marissa told CNN on Tuesday.

Lucky's cell phone service was patchy, so the couple kept in touch infrequently over the next few days. Marissa claimed he FaceTimed her whenever he had the opportunity.
"He was anxious," Marissa added. "Tell my kids I love them," he stated, "Send me images of my kids, I want to see my kids," and "Make sure they know I love them."

Since the start of the war, large groups of Ukrainians have fled the nation. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 500,000 people have migrated to neighboring nations in Eastern Europe.
Lucky claimed he didn't hear any explosions or mayhem at the time.

However, a town that he characterized as generally calm was bustling with people and panic. "That day was unique," Lucky remarked. "There were so many people outside, I felt something was up."
"People were going to the grocery shop and buying whatever they needed, crossing the border, going to the medical facility to get medicine, then going to the bank to withdraw their money," Lucky explained.

The colleagues hurriedly packed their belongings that morning, and a car picked them up a few hours later to begin what would be a grueling drive home.
Lucky said that they had been given no directions and that he had no idea where they were going.

'It was very, very tough on my body and mind'

Their first move was to head to the neighboring country to the west, Poland, as that was the safest option at the time. But when officials told them the borders were closed, the car turned around and headed back into Ukraine.

The next best option was to head south to Romania. As they neared the border, they had to get out of their car and walk a few miles.

The men got hardly any sleep and went to the bathroom outside when they needed to. Lucky said one gas station they came across at 1:30 in the morning was like a lifesaver, as they were able to get a quick bite to eat.

Not only were things exhausting mentally, but physically. Temperatures were freezing and the entire time, they were carrying their bags.

"It was very, very tough on my body and mind," Lucky said, "I was ready to just break down and go to sleep, but I couldn't. I had so many things on my mind and so many things to do to get out of there safe and sound."

And things only became more difficult when they ran into trouble at the border.

Lucky said the border patrol officers were refusing to let them in, as crowds of people were rushing to get across as well. "It was terrifying because we just didn't know what was going to happen," he said.

Back home, Marissa was trying to do what she could to help Lucky out. She said she called the Romanian Embassy to see what information they could give her about her husband.

"I provided them with information to let them know he and his teammates were at the border and for them to keep a lookout for them," she said.

Eventually, the players were allowed through and they took a train to the capital, Bucharest.

Throughout the journey, the urgency of the evacuation weighed heavily on the basketball players. "Everyone was panicking," Lucky said, "There was very high emotion."

The crew was able to get a flight out of Romania to Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Friday morning after a six-hour train excursion to the capital.
They were fortunate to get a hotel there, according to Marissa, which allowed them to finally rest, shower, and change their clothes.
Another flight transported them to the United States, passing through Dublin, Ireland.

Back at home, a jittery family awaits you.
Marissa was at home, trying to maintain calm for Lucky and the kids as he moved from country to country.
Marissa stated their oldest child had a rough concept of what was going on with the invasion, but she kept it a secret until Lucky was safe.

She explained, "I had to be the calm in the storm." "I couldn't make the kids or him frightened."
When Lucky reached the Romanian border, she informed her children that their father was safe and that they could communicate with him over FaceTime.

When Lucky arrived at Dulles International Airport on Saturday, he, Marissa, and the rest of his family were overjoyed to be back in the United States.
"It was knowing that I was on my way and that my wife, kids, mother, and father would be happy," Lucky explained.

Outside the airport, he met up with his family. Marissa stated, "On his way out, he went out to the car and was leaping with enthusiasm."

Hugs and "I love you's" were given out liberally.
Lucky began playing basketball at the age of four and went on to Robert Morris University in 2015. He has played professionally for several teams, including those in Finland, Greece, and Belgium.
However, Lucky stated that for the time being, he will concentrate on educating and mentoring children in the sport rather than honing his abilities. For the time being, his basketball career is in jeopardy as a result of the issue, which continues to weigh heavily on him.

"As far as myself, I'm not focused on basketball right now since this has been a very horrific experience," he stated.
Lucky said he thinks of his buddies and comrades in Ukraine while he's secure at home with his family.

He described the scenario as "sad." "I hope it's a lot better (than) when we first left for all my friends and teammates who are out there, as well as their families."