By: Fatima Roshni Image credit: SCMP
Drafted in the NBA in 2014 by the San Antonio Spurs, Kyle Anderson's versatility from his college days as a 6-foot-9 basketball player remains prominent in his NBA career in both forward positions.
The Minnesota Timberwolves player, also named Li Kaier for his Chinese heritage, is the son of Suzanne Anderson and Kyle Anderson Sr., a former basketball player at Glassboro State College.
Born in New York, Kyle's roots in China hail from his maternal grandmother, Mirian Foreman, a half-Chinese and Jamaican and the daughter of Samuel Lee Hing, a Chinese who married to a Jamaican.
In discussion with SNY.tv, Kyle once mentioned, "People do ask me all the time. I would like my Asian heritage to be acknowledged, but unfortunately, a lot of my mother’s family lives out of town."
After carrying his willingness to represent China at the FIBA World Cup scheduled for next month for a while, he has finally come to terms after obtaining his Chinese citizenship this month.
Claiming it as a proud moment, he said, "Hello fans in China. I am so happy to announce that I will be representing China in the World Cup. Really proud and honored to wear the Team China jersey."
Taking the news on Twitter, the CBA shared a photograph with a post: "We thank Li's family for their support and the fans and media for their long-term attention to the Chinese men's basketball team."
Under the leadership of Chinese national team coach Sasa Djordjevic, Kyle Anderson, along with other players like Qi Zhou, will be playing in the World Cup starting on August 25.
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