Failing to secure Team USA spot, Kyle Anderson becomes 'Li Kaier' to represent China at 2023 FIBA World Cup
The Team USA roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup features a plethora of young and exciting talent, but that doesn't include Kyle Anderson.
Of course, there are a few veteran players sprinkled into the roster to provide some balance. However, Anderson is not one them and is unlikely to feature for USA in the FIBA World Cup.
As such, Anderson has taken the unusual step of becoming a Chinese citizen, Li Kaier, in hopes of representing the nation in the World Cup. The FIBA tournament begins on Aug. 25, 2023.
According to a report by ESPN, Anderson is now eligible to represent the Chinese national team in Japan, Philippines and Indonesia but is not guaranteed a spot on their roster.
"Citizenship could potentially allow Anderson to play for China at the FIBA World Cup that tips off Aug. 25 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia as well as at the Olympic Games in Paris next year," ESPN reported.
"FIBA allows teams to have one naturalized player on their roster. Chinese media reported Anderson's maternal grandmother was born in Jamaica to a Chinese father and a Jamaican mother."
Given the lack of NBA talent in China's ranks, Anderson will likely make their FIBA World Cup roster, should he decide to participate in the tournament. Last season, Anderson played 65 regular-season NBA games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, starting 46 and averaging 9.4 points per contest.
As such, Anderson will likely be the most talented player available to the Chinese ahead of the FIBA World Cup and the Paris Olympics next year.
Rudy Gobert squashes Kyle Anderson beef
During the 2022-23 regular season, there appeared to be some bad blood between Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson.
The feud began when Gobert punched Anderson during the Timberwolves' play-in-game contest against the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the regular season. According to Dave Campbell of the Associated Press, Gobert has claimed that his differences with Kyle Anderson have been resolved.
"We both apologized to each other, and you move on," Gobert said. "That’s life. It's different when you have millions of people all watching videos and have an opinion on things that happened, but that we can’t control. What we can control is the respect that we have for each other and our relationship. I still love Kyle.
"He's still my brother. I tell people, 'Sometimes you fight with your family. Sometimes you fight with people that you have a lot of love and respect for. It's life, no one is perfect. Mistakes happen, and, then, you grow and you move on."
Regardless of whether Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson have truly buried the hatchet, Anderson's potential addition to the Chinese team will be a big bonus for the FIBA World Cup and the level of skill available throughout multiple teams.