CHINA is set to have NBA player Kyle Anderson on board as its naturalized player for the Fiba Basketball World Cup set to open next month.
The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) made the announcement of the Minnesota Timberwolves player finally earning Chinese citizenship through naturalization.
See Gilas yet to make a decision on Scottie joining China pocket tournament
Former TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is also seeking naturalization papers with the national team of Jordan.
Hollis Jefferson, who won Best Import Award on the way to steering the Tropang Giga to the championship of the PBA Governors' Cup, is currently in training camp with the Jordanian.
Anderson, born in New York, became the first naturalized player of the Chinese men's basketball team and will suit up for the country's campaign in the World Cup.
The 29-year-old Anderson, who goes by his Chinese name Li Kaier, met with CBA president Yao Ming after his naturalization papers were finally approved.
His great grand parents hail from the city of Zhenzhen.
The 6-foot-9 product of UCLA joins a Chinese team that also boasts of former Houston Rocket Qi Zhou under new head coach Serbian Sasa Djordjevic.
China is in Group B with Serbia, Puerto Rico, and South Sudan and slated to play in Manila.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
