NBA star touts importance of Chinese heritage as he embarks on exciting new journey with Team China

Donning the red jersey with his Chinese name on the back, US-born NBA star Kyle Anderson takes great pride from his decision to represent China on the international stage.

Known as "Li Kaier" in China, Anderson is suddenly a household name in the NBA's biggest overseas market after the Chinese Basketball Association confirmed on Monday that his naturalization process — made possible by his mother's Chinese heritage — has been officially completed.

About 24 hours after the CBA announcement, international governing body FIBA confirmed on social media that Anderson's eligibility to represent Team China had been approved, paving the way for the Minnesota Timberwolves forward to suit up in red at the forthcoming World Cup, which tips off on Aug 25.

With all the paperwork finally out of the way, Anderson said he couldn't be more proud of his decision, which he expects to alter the path of his life and career.

"It means a great deal for me," Anderson opened up in his first lengthy interview since the announcement was made on China Mobile's streaming platform Migu on Tuesday.

"Not only just being able to play international basketball in summer-time and becoming a part of FIBA, but to represent China where I have an ancestor, it feels like a full circle for me to play for China over one hundred years later," said Anderson, whose mother's grandfather hailed from South China's Guangdong province.

"This means a lot. I am sure he (great grandfather) is looking down smiling. I just hope I can make him proud."

In 2018, Anderson and his mother Suzanne visited Xinmu new village in Shenzhen, Guangdong, to explore their family roots. Their long-lost Chinese relatives welcomed them with a firecracker display, traditional cultural experiences and a huge banquet.

Born in New Jersey and drafted as a first-round pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, Anderson averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 69 games with 46 starts for Minnesota in the 2022-23 season — his ninth year in the league — as a playmaking forward.

In its official announcement, the CBA posted a group photo of Anderson, his mother Suzanne and CBA president Yao Ming, all wearing beaming smiles, on its Weibo account.

Yao, a former NBA All-Star, welcomed Anderson as a valuable addition to the men's national team.

"The whole naturalization process complied with Chinese laws and FIBA rules. The most important reason we picked Li Kaier was because of his roots in China and his family's strong sense of belonging to the Chinese culture," said Yao, who retired in 2011 after playing eight seasons in the NBA, all representing the Houston Rockets.

"To bring him on board as the first-ever naturalized player in the history of Chinese basketball was an institutional innovation. We appreciate the support from all parties involved and I believe Li Kaier, as an excellent player, can make a major contribution to Team China," added Yao, who was elected CBA chief in early 2017.

Currently training in Europe in preparation for the World Cup, China's 18-man squad will soon be joined by Anderson after he left Shanghai on Wednesday for Slovenia, where he is expected to practice with his new teammates and play warm-up games under Serbian head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic.

A 6-foot-9 (2.06-meter) power forward with all-around offensive skills, agility and physicality, Anderson's versatile game looks set to significantly enhance the young Chinese squad at the World Cup, where only the highest-ranked Asian team directly qualifies for next year's Paris Olympic Games.

After failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a poor 2019 World Cup campaign at home, the Chinese men's squad can ill afford to miss out on the sport's biggest stage twice in a row. The pressure to make a success of this World Cup campaign prompted the CBA to search overseas for talent, despite the fact that the naturalization of athletes remains a controversial topic in China's sporting community.

Relying mainly on its young core of towering center Zhou Qi, forward Zhang Zhenlin and veteran guard Zhao Jiwei in recent warm-up games in Europe, Team China can now lean on Anderson's experience and grit in tough group battles against Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico if things are not going to plan.

Anderson is confident his team-first mentality will help him fit in smoothly.

"I think it's very important to create a certain bond with the guys when I get there. It's a team game. We all have to be on the same page whether we speak the same language or not," he said.

"I'm a very unselfish player. I need to know who does what well and what are certain tendencies of players and things like that.

"I'm not the type to go scoring 30 or 40 (points), or dribbling a ball a hundred times and shoot from 30 feet. I can only come out to play my game and be myself.

"I think I have the skill and talent, and if the game requires me to go out there and score then that's what I'm gonna do. If one of our guys is playing well and he's hot, I have no problem getting him the ball ... I think I've played the game a long time and have a good enough basketball IQ to figure out how I can impact winning."

Financially, the move is already proving to be a slam-dunk for Anderson. Global sportswear giant Nike, an official sponsor of Team China, announced on Tuesday that it has signed an endorsement deal with Anderson, with many more brands expected to follow suit.

He is expected to make his national team debut in front of Chinese fans at a warm-up tournament — the "International Solidarity Cup" — in August in Shenzhen.

"It will be a great opportunity for them to come and see me play in their home city," Anderson said of the Shenzhen event.

"It was wonderful when I last visited them in the city. But for this all to happen, it adds 10 times the value of that 2018 trip."

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