(ECNS) -- Chinese Basketball Association announced on Monday morning that Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson has obtained Chinese citizenship.
"Welcome Anderson! He obtained Chinese nationality this morning and met Yao Ming, chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association," the CBA said on its official Weibo account.
“I’m so happy to announce that I would be representing China in the World Cup. Really proud to wear the team China jersey,” Anderson said on his Weibo account.
Anderson’s great-grandfather was Chinese, according to Sina Sports, adding that in 2018, he visited his ancestral home in south China’s Shenzhen City with his mother to trace his roots and was officially registered in the family genealogy under his Chinese name Li Kai'er.
Anderson is currently 29 years old and plays in the NBA. Throughout his NBA career, he has averaged 7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. In the just-concluded 2022-23 season, he improved his performance and averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He achieved an impressive field goal percentage of 50.9 percent and a three-point shooting percentage of 41 percent.