China will have an NBA veteran in its lineup for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Kyle Anderson obtained his Chinese citizenship on Monday, according to the Chinese Basketball Association.
With this, the 6-foot-9 forward will immediately be able to suit up for Team Dragon in the global meet which begins on August 25.
“Hello, fans in China. This is Li Kaier. I’m so happy to announce that I would be representing China in the World Cup,” said Anderson, who currently plays for Minnesota.
“Really proud and honored to wear the Team China jersey.”
Anderson, who will have the Chinese name Li Kaier, was able to gain citizenship in China after his great-grandfather was traced to have been born in Shenzhen.
This comes as a timely boost for China, which is grouped with Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico in the group stages set to be played at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Gilas-Dragons Clash Could Result in Olympic Spot
(C) Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
A ticket to France for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be up for grabs for Asian teams competing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, and a possible meeting between China and the Philippines could be a crucial game.
The Philippines is in Group A with Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola, while China is in Group B with South Sudan, Serbia, and Puerto Rico. Both groups will then merge for the second group stage (top two) or for the classification phase (bottom two).
In 2019, no Asian squad made it to the second group stage, so any Asian squad that picks up two wins in the first group stage will be a heavy favorite.
Jordan is in an unbelievably difficult group with the USA, New Zealand, and Greece, and Japan will need all the help it can get against Germany, Finland, and Australia.
Iran is grouped with Spain, Brazil, and Cote d’Ivoire, and Lebanon will be heavy underdogs against Canada, Latvia, and France.
Asian teams only scored wins against other Asian or African squads in the last FIBA Basketball World Cup so the Philippines, China, and Iran got a bit of luck from the draw.
If the Philippines and China perform similarly in the first group stage, then a meeting will be inevitable.
Back in 2019, Iran finished with the same 2-3 win-loss record as China, but Iran qualified for the Olympics due to a better point difference. It was a frustrating finish for the Chinese side as the team had high hopes, being the host of the tournament.
Now China is out for revenge led by Serbian head coach Sasha Dordevic and 2016 NBA draftees Wang Zhelin and Zhou Qi. However, Gilas Pilipinas, already hard at work at home following its European training camp, will maximize home-court advantage as the host team targets to win as many games as possible in front of the Filipino fans.
Both Gilas Pilipinas and China will play all their group stage games, including their possible matchup, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Tickets are available via ticketnet.com.ph.
Tickets for all SM Mall of Asia Arena contests are available via smtickets.com
