Born in New York in 1993, Kyle Anderson never questioned his origins. Since he was born in the USA, played in the NBA for nine years, the thought never even occurred to him. But his mother Suzanne Anderson was always curious. Ever since she was a child, people guessed she was Asian. She went into the depths and found out her grandfather was actually Chinese.

Since around 2015, she has been on a journey of finding their family’s hometown and ultimately her long-lost connections in South Asia. Her efforts finally produced results in 2018. They had discovered their family thanks to CloseUp360. Kyle Anderson, his mother and his wife Crystal all headed to China to uncover their heritage.

This is the story of the documentary Kyle Anderson’s “Chinese Destiny”.

How Kyle Anderson found his home

The team at CloseUp360 accompanied the Anderson family to their trip to China. The slow motion man of the NBA was geared with excitement. He wanted to solve the mystery of his origin and experience his home away from home. His first trip in 2018 was to Shenzhen.

“I feel excited yeah of course. Now, I am kind of nervous. Getting a little bit of butterflies. Getting kind of nervous in a good way though but you know ready to meet my family,” said an anxious Anderson who couldn’t stop fidgeting.

They arrived at their destination. A countable group of his relatives came to receive him. From that very moment, the Memphis Grizzlies forward felt the love and respect of the community. His relatives greeted him in the traditional way and they even gave him and his family flowers as a warm welcoming gesture.

After walking through the village, he finally went to his family home. Cramming on a small couch, his entire family introduced them one after another. “We’re family” said Anderson while greeting the elderly.

Suzanne Anderson, who had finally fulfilled her mission was emotional and overwhelmed. The outpour of love that she saw her son received\ led to a stream of tears running down her face. It was then that they were introduced to the various customs and traditions of the community.

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Kyle Anderson honored his ancestors with a ceremony, hand made dumplings and even indulged in the local delicacies. Despite being estranged for 35 years, his family accepted him instantly. He was welcomed with pride. They burst crackers to mark his homecoming. Their first meet was perfect, and couldn’t have gone any better.

Anderson chooses to play for China

After his 2018 memorable visit, Kyle Anderson felt connected to his homeland. He wanted to play for China n the international stage. In 2023, he officially got his Chinese citizenship. The process to be eligible to play basketball though was complex. Yao Ming, an NBA HOF and Chinese basketball legend had constructed the CBA agreements.

It strictly said to be naturalized, there needs to be some blood connection in China. Luckily for Anderson, he had an entire community to prove it. Ming himself was very supportive of the process. Anderson described him as the “bridge” to him playing for China. His relatives honored him by giving him a dedicated section in a museum.

All that was left was for him to put on the jersey. During the FIBA World Cup 2023, Anderson made his debut for the Chinese international basketball team. The back of his jersey read Li Kaier, his Chinese name. He averaged 13 points and 5,6 rebounds during the five game tournament.

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Now, he is looking forward to once again wearing the jersey at the Paris Olympics to be held later this year.