"With the promotion and support of all parties, Li Kaier has obtained Chinese nationality this morning and met with Yao Ming, chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association."
On the 24th, the Chinese Basketball Association issued a document confirming that basketball player Li Kaier obtained Chinese nationality.
Subsequently, Li Kyle posted a video on his personal social media, revealing that he would represent the Chinese men's basketball team in the World Cup. He wrote: "Today I am very happy to announce that I will represent the Chinese men's basketball team in the World Cup, wearing the national team shirt, it is my pride and honor, thank the fans for their support!" Let's cheer for the Chinese men's basketball team. ”
In fact, for several months, the most discussed and concerned about NBA player Kyle Anderson is not his performance on the court, but his name has been closely associated with the Chinese men's basketball team several times - there have been rumors that Kyle Anderson will become a Chinese national and become a member of the Chinese men's basketball team.
Not only that, but his name has long changed from Kyle Anderson to Li Kaier - this is the Chinese name he had before he officially obtained Chinese citizenship.
Searching for relatives
Recognized his ancestors and returned to the sect and was named Li Kaier
Anderson's maternal grandmother, Marianne Foreman, was half-Chinese, and Marianne's father, Samuel Lee, was entirely Chinese, Chinese named Li Chongxin. That is, Anderson has 1/8 Chinese ancestry. This is somewhat reflected in Anderson's appearance and skin color.
According to reports, Samuel Lee went overseas to "pan for gold" in his early years, married a local girl in Jamaica, and gave birth to Anderson's maternal grandmother, Marianne.
As Chinese descendants, the Anderson family still retains a strong sense of clan and blood kinship. This is evident in Anderson and his mother Suzanne's 2018 search trip.
Although it had long been clear that he had Chinese ancestry, it was not until a few months before Anderson came to China in August 2018 that he and his family went through several setbacks to find the origin of their Chinese ancestry.
Image source: Anderson Social Media
According to reports at the time, Anderson's mother, Suzanne, has been searching for her family in China since 2014. She even quit her job in Canada to focus on family history. She also participated in events organized by local Hakka groups in Canada and sought help from professional organizations. Eventually, through her cousin who did business in China, Suzanne found the younger brother of her maternal grandfather, Li Chongxin, who had traveled to Jamaica with Li Chongxin.
As a result, in the summer of 2018, the Anderson family came to China to find relatives and worship their ancestors.
In August 2018, a banner reading "Chinese family warmly welcomes Kyle, Susanna, Crystal home" was hung at the entrance of Xinmu Xincun, Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong.
Amid the sound of firecrackers and cheers, Anderson walked into Shinki New Village with his mother, girlfriend and accompanying friends.
According to local customs, the first thing a family does when they return to their hometown is to burn incense to worship their ancestors.
Introduced by a cousin in his 70s, Anderson and his mother in turn got to know each other with more than 30 family members. Later, Anderson took the genealogy handed by his relatives and listened to the villagers talk about their hometown with his mother.
Later, there were two more names on the family tree: "Suzanne" and "Li Kyle".
Li Kyle, this is exactly the name Chinese the elders gave him. During that journey to find relatives, Li Kaier learned to wrap rice balls and stir-fry large pot dishes with his elders. He eats home-cooked food at the same table as his relatives, uses chopsticks, drinks liquor, and even lowers his glass when clinking glasses.
Li Kyle once told his family: "I have found a place where I have never been to but feel at home." The hospitality here gave me a strong sense of belonging, which was the best experience of my life. He added that he will definitely study hard Chinese and will return to the village again.
Visit China
At the age of 19, he showed his skills in front of Yao Ming
In fact, that trip to China was not Mr. Li's first visit to China.
In 2012, as a freshman, Li Kyle followed UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) to China for an exchange competition.
At that time, as a newcomer to the team, he was the focus of attention from the outside world.
Before entering college, Anderson, who was not yet named "Lee Kyle," led St. Anthony High School to two consecutive championships, was named Player of the Year and was recognized by the draft website as the number one small forward in the 2012 recruiting class.
In the friendly match, Anderson played with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists against Tsinghua University, and scored 11 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists against the then Shanghai Magis men's basketball team.
"I think Kyle is doing a great job." At that time, UCLA head coach Ben Holland commented on Kyle Anderson's performance after the team's game against Shanghai Jiao Tong University, "He made some good passes, he had six rebounds at halftime, he was a very smart player. ”
In addition to following a rising basketball star's on-court performance, Anderson's Chinese ancestry was mentioned repeatedly during that trip.
During a week-long trip to China, Anderson and his teammates toured the Great Wall and climbed the Shanghai World Financial Center to enjoy the night view, and they were amazed by everything they experienced.
After the match against Shanghai, UCLA players stepped forward to take photos with Yao Ming, who was then the owner of Shanghai, and Anderson was one of them. It's just that the two people in the same frame at that time would not have imagined that they would become "colleagues" in the future.
Screenshot of media coverage
naturalization
Meet the "three major requirements" of the basketball association
Earlier, when asked about naturalized players, Yao Ming, president of the Chinese Basketball Association, said: "With an open attitude, there are several conditions that meet national regulations, meet FIBA participation standards, and cultural integration." He also added: "Of course the higher the level, the better, we do not refuse." ”
When asked about Li Kaier's questions later, Yao Ming reiterated these three major requirements.
It can be said that whether it is from the perspective of FIBA's relevant hard entry standards or cultural identity, Kyle Anderson can meet the requirements put forward by Yao Ming.
Infographic: Yao Ming responds to the question of naturalized players at China Basketball Media Day. Photo by Li Hyuk
It is reported that Li Kaier once said in the "journey to find relatives" that this journey to recognize his ancestors and return to his ancestors deeply touched him: "It is very moving to be able to cross several generations and then find relatives on the other side of the world." I still can't find the right words to describe this feeling, and it's great to be able to meet people from my hometown. ”
Later, Li Kyle, who was preparing for the MLB tournament with the team at the time, responded to the news of his possible joining the Chinese men's basketball team in an interview with the Chinese media: "This matter needs to be communicated with my family and agent, and I am currently focusing on the game in front of me." Once the season is over, I will discuss it further with my family before making a decision. ”
On May 10 this year, Anderson also posted a photo of himself and his mother on his personal Weibo. This photo was taken in 2018 during Li Kaier and his mother's visit to China to look for relatives and worship their ancestors, and the picture recorded the two at that time.
His personal social media name has also quietly changed from the original "Sledgehammer Kyle Anderson" to the Chinese name "Sledgehammer Lee Kyle Anderson".
The data picture is Li Kyle.
strength
Hexagonal "Human Creep Essence"
With his unique playing rhythm, Anderson has the nickname "Slo Mo", which Chinese fans call "human creep essence".
In college, Anderson played two seasons at UCLA, helping the team win back-to-back championships.
Anderson himself was named MVP of the 2014 Pac-12 tournament. After his sophomore season, Anderson announced his participation in the 2014 MLB Draft and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 30th pick in the first round.
The national team talent pool on the official website of the Chinese Basketball Association has been updated with Li Kaier's information.
In a nine-year career, Anderson has grown into one of the most versatile players in the league, ranking among the top "hexagonal warriors." This past season, he led the team to the playoffs as the Timberwolves' main tactical playmaker.
In early July, Yao Ming, chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, made a report at the second meeting of the 10th Chinese Basketball Association Member Congress and the second meeting of the Executive Committee, and clearly pointed out that impacting the right to participate in the Paris Olympics is the top task of the Chinese Basketball Association this year, the most important of which is the Chinese men's basketball team, and the team's goal is to impact the qualification for the Paris Olympic Games in the men's basketball World Cup. He also said that at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Chinese team aims to compete for gold medals in all four basketball events.
The Chinese men's basketball team trains overseas. Image source: China Basketball Team's official Weibo
It can be said that the goal of Chinese basketball is not low, and the difficulty is not small.
At present, the Chinese men's basketball team is training overseas to prepare for the upcoming World Cup. According to previous reports, after officially obtaining Chinese nationality, Li Kyle will join the Chinese men's basketball team as soon as possible.
Li Kyle's comprehensive skills and excellent organizational skills will undoubtedly provide more tactical options and technical support for Chinese men's basketball coach Jorjevic. His joining will also provide greater possibilities for the Chinese men's basketball team to achieve the set goals.
Source: China-Singapore Sports Forum