Shangxi Knight: Local hoops pro reflects on latest season in China, upcoming youth camp

In 13 years playing pro basketball, Marcos Knight has dropped pins on just about every part of the map in the eastern hemisphere between his stops in Germany, France, Spain, Monaco, Turkey, Russia and Libya. 

This past year, he added another stamp to his hoops passport as the latest leg of that world journey led as far east as China. 

Knight spent the 2025-26 season with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanxi Loongs, a club located in Taiyuan, about five and a half hours southwest of Beijing in the northern province of Shanxi. 

The former West Laurens standout, who played collegiately at Middle Tennessee before embarking on his long professional tour overseas, reflected on the unique experiences that highlighted this latest chapter of his career last week as he sat down for a brief catch-up roughly a week out from the local youth camp he sponsors, and looks forward to this time each summer. 

“It’s just a blessing, being able to go play in different places,” Knight said. 

The shooting guard averaged a little over 14 points, four and a half assists, about four rebounds and one steal per game as he appeared in 36 out of 47 contests over the four and a half-month campaign. Highlights included double-doubles against Ningbo Jan. 13 and Beijing April 13, as well as a monumental 41-point night against Nanjing April 24. 

The Loongs finished the regular season 22-20 overall, placing 10th out of 20 teams in the league, and won three out of five postseason games to advance to the quarterfinals, falling there in three games to the eventual runner-up Zhejiang Guangsha Lions. 

While not fully satisfied with the outcome, Knight said he still considered this one of his strongest years of late, and one to remember for a lot of reasons. 

“I think we had a pretty good season,” he said. “That was the goal, to win a championship, and obviously that didn’t happen, but it was OK. My mom got to see me play, my son got to watch me, my entire family. So yeah, it was definitely another great experience.” 

Notable Loongs teammates included Senegalese star Ibrahima Fall Faye, and former Kentucky Wildcat and NBA dunk contest champion Hamidou Diallo. Knight also matched up with a number of well-known players out of the states including ex-NBA center Hassan Whiteside, UCF and FGCU’s Brandon Goodwin (both of the league champion Shanghai Sharis) and Kansas State product Barry Brown Jr., among others. “I got a chance to play against some great guys,” he said. 

While the brand of basketball played in China doesn’t differ all that much in style or quality from other leagues in Europe and Asia, its distinct national pride in the game is a little different than most places. 

“The fans are crazy there,” Knight said. “Whenever Steph Curry, Lebron James go over there, they go crazy over those guys. Their fans love basketball, they love the game. That’s one of the most unique things about it.”

Though a strict diet kept him from partaking in too much of the native cuisine, and the noodles you tend to find on any and every menu, he enjoyed being exposed to plenty of other elements of the Chinese culture for the first time. 

“It’s all a blessing,” Knight said. “I’m humbled to be able to go over there and play and be able to just experience that and that culture as well.” 

‘Back for the kids’…

In an event he’s made an end-of-summer tradition, Knight will once again be sharing some of his basketball experience and expertise later this week as he hosts his annual “One Hoop, One Dream” camp at West Laurens High School. 

Free to boys and girls up to about 18, the three-day clinic will include a range of drills, games and activities imparting lessons on basketball, as well as life. 

“We’re gonna do a little bit more like focusing on really footwork and fundamentals,” Knight said. “We’re also partnering with FCA. we’re gonna really have a session where we’re really speaking about God and telling the kids about Jesus Christ. That’s one of the main points. We’ve already been doing it, but we’re going to focus a lot more on that this year.” 

It will run from 5:30 until 7:45 on Thursday and Friday, July 30-31, with registration the first night beginning as early as 4:30, and conclude Saturday, Aug. 1 with a closing session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

“It’s another great year to come back for the kids and be a blessing to them,” he said. 

What’s next? 

Knight mostly brushes off any suggestion that his career might be winding down, pointing to the level of valuable production he maintained this past season as an indicator that more strong years are still ahead. 

“I’m still young,” he said. “It’s a blessing to be able to play, for sure, and that’s the plan.” 

He credits much of his durability over 13 professional seasons to the support of brother, and former MTSU teammate Trantell “Tweety” Knight, who serves as his personal trainer and nutritionist. The two consult almost daily to ensure his body and game remain the best shape possible. 

“He keeps me right through the whole year,” Knight said. “He’s been with me from day 1. We have a really good bond.” 

Whether it’s back in China, or someplace new, he looks forward to whatever opportunities the next year holds, with a great sense of gratitude for the blessings that the Lord and the game of basketball have afforded him so far. 

“I like to always say that I couldn’t do any of this without God, my family or my teammates,” Knight said.