NBA Utah Jazz player Kyle Anderson (Li Kaier), the first naturalized player in the history of China's men's national basketball team Photo: Xinhua

Basketball player Kyle Anderson's agency, Wasserman, released a statement on Wednesday on Sina Weibo and responded to rumors regarding his nationality, saying that recent media claims that Anderson has reverted to US citizenship based on the NBA website's tag are not true.

Kyle Anderson reposted the statement on his Weibo account, adding the caption "Nothing changed. Still here," accompanied by a Chinese national flag emoji with a heart.

In its statement, Wasserman noted that some media platforms had cited the nationality information listed on the NBA's official website as evidence and reported that Kyle Anderson had restored his US nationality. The agency stressed that such reports are untrue.

Utah Jazz player Kyle Anderson, also known as Li Kaier, became the first naturalized player in the history of China's men's basketball, media reported in 2023.

According to the statement, the nationality displayed on the NBA website reflects a player's country of birth, rather than their current citizenship status. For example, Joel Embiid, who now represents the United States, is still listed as Cameroonian on the NBA website, while Jordan Clarkson, who plays for the Philippines, is listed as American, the statement said.

"Kyle Anderson still holds Chinese citizenship and is eligible to represent the Chinese men's national basketball team in international competitions. He is not a naturalized 'mercenary' under FIBA rules. He has roots in China and family ties here. If the national team needs him, the possibility of him continuing to play in the future cannot be ruled out. It is even possible that he could play in the CBA in the future," the statement by Wasserman noted.

Early on Wednesday, several Chinese media outlets have noted that Anderson has reverted to U.S. citizenship, citing the latest information available on the NBA's official website.

Born on September 20, 1993, in New York, US, Anderson has one-eighth Chinese ancestry, with his great-grandfather being a Hakka from South China's Guangdong Province, according to The Paper.

On July 24, 2023, Anderson obtained Chinese citizenship, becoming the first naturalized player in Chinese basketball to represent China's men's national basketball team, according to Xinhua News Agency.

He later played four warm-up games and appeared in five games at the FIBA Basketball World Cup proper but ultimately was unable to help the team qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Anderson represented China at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, averaging 13.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, as China finished with a 1-4 record.

So far this season, Anderson has appeared in nine games for the Jazz. In 17.9 minutes per game, he is averaging 6.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals, while shooting 49 percent from the field.