NBA forward offers to extend Team China relationship beyond World Cup

Even though results didn't go to plan, NBA forward Kyle Anderson hailed his FIBA World Cup adventure with Team China as a fulfilling, fun, and proud experience.

And the New York native has vowed to continue helping Chinese basketball however he can as the men's program looks to rebuild for the future.

"I want to be a part of this improvement, development and success starting with the high-school kids in China, or even the grade-level schools, or however I can help," Anderson told China Daily after Saturday's 96-75 loss to the host Philippines.

"I am going to be present and I want to be around ... I am not going anywhere," said Anderson, who acquired Chinese citizenship in July through his mother's family heritage in South China's Guangdong province.

A versatile playmaker with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anderson learned the difference between the NBA and FIBA basketball the hard way. Despite making adjustments to bring out his A-game, his contribution still failed to elevate Team China to the Olympic qualifying standard.

Struggling to keep up with the pace and physicality on the international stage, Team China managed only one win out of five games to miss out on an Olympic ticket to Paris 2024 with its worst-ever finish at the World Cup — 29th place.

Despite that unflattering stat, Anderson went all out to deliver 13 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, a better contribution than his NBA averages last season.

Anderson, however, is nothing but grateful for his World Cup journey, which saw him go through plenty of ups and downs — from his scoreless opening game against Serbia to his 22-point outing against South Sudan. A steep learning curve, for sure, but a worthwhile one at that, he reckoned.

"It's a much different game," Anderson said after Team China's 107-89 loss to Puerto Rico on Aug 30. "Not as much space as the NBA. In the NBA you kind of get by one guy easily and after that you can make something happen. But after that here, you got two or three guys and six guys total in the paint. So it's a little bit... it's a little tough.

"This is a level I've never been to before and I've always watched it from afar. I didn't start as well as I wanted to but I think I was able to watch some film and make some adjustments and see where and how I could be effective."

Team China's overall lack of intensity, consistency and execution on both ends of the floor was exposed brutally in the third quarter of its blowout defeat to the host on Saturday, when Anderson's fellow NBA standout Jordan Clarkson torched the nets at the Gilas Pilipinas' home arena by scoring 24 points, including five straight 3-pointers, in 10 minutes to tear down China's perimeter defense.

Clarkson, a Utah Jazz guard who represents his mother's home country, ended up with 34 points in a game that sent Chinese fans into a rage at their players' apparent lack of fight.

"It's tough. We worked really hard. We obviously don't want this result. We put the work in and the coaching staff prepared us pretty well. Balls just didn't fall our way," said Anderson, a UCLA alumnus who was in the same NBA draft class as Missouri graduate Clarkson in 2014.

China's defeat to the host was just the rotten cherry on top of a dismal campaign, but Anderson, who has returned to the United States to prepare for the new NBA season and will not play at the Asian Games, is keen to continue helping Chinese hoops.

"I don't like to start something and not finish the way we want to," said the 29-year-old, who was picked by the San Antonio Spurs at 30th overall in the 2014 draft.

"If I am fortunate enough to play (again for China), I am going to play. If I can't play, I want to help out behind the scenes.

"Use my basketball IQ and knowledge to help develop young kids, be there for the guys to know that there is an NBA player they can reach out to. Be in touch with them. And be in the gym with them. I am not going anywhere."

As a tip for Team China's youngsters, Anderson has urged them to up their aggression levels on the court.

"I will just say the level of competing — that's what I want to bring to the young guys that just having that grit and not being a 'nice guy' on the court," said Anderson.

"As weird as it sounds, you have to be an animal. You have to be an 'MF', or that type of guy to be able to play basketball at this level. When you step on (the court) between those lines, you gotta be nasty, you gotta be competitive, be ready to fight."

Anderson, who was cheered on by his mother Suzanne courtside in Manila, also gleaned immense personal pride from his World Cup trip.

"Family means a lot to me. My great grandfather was born in China. To be able to represent him years, years later and to be with such a wonderful group of guys means a lot," said Anderson, who made his second trip to his mother's relatives in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, before the World Cup following an initial visit in 2018.

"Everybody on the team, they welcomed me with open arms. We clicked right away. Coaching staff have been awesome," he said. "It's such a wonderful experience."