2023-07-24 06:40:36
Minnesota Timberwolves winger Kyle Anderson (2.06m, 29) has completed a naturalization process and acquired Chinese nationality so he can play for his mother’s home country on the international stage and therefore at the World Cup.
China’s basketball federation confirmed the news on its official Weibo account on Monday morning, about 24 hours after Anderson, now known as “Li Kaier” in China, landed in Shanghai to complete the naturalization process.
“With the efforts and support of all parties involved, Li Kaier obtained his Chinese citizenship and met with President Yao Ming,” the federation said in the statement.
Born in New Jersey, drafted 30th by the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, Anderson averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 69 games during the 2022-23 season in his ninth season in the NBA.
In 2018, Anderson and her mother Suzanne visited Xinmu New Village in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, to search for her mother’s family roots. Their long-lost Chinese relatives welcomed them with a firecracker show, traditional cultural experiences and a huge banquet.
According to Chinese media, Anderson is expected to fly to Europe to join the national team coached by Serbian Aleksandar Djordjevic. The Chinese team are preparing for their World Cup campaign by playing warm-up matches against European teams such as Croatia and Slovenia. Anderson is set to make his China national team debut in August in Shenzhen, the hometown of his mother’s Chinese family.
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