Not led by the Basketball Association, Li Kaier s naturalization revealed the secret! Famous mouth: A state-owned enterprise bears all the costs

In the world of basketball, naturalized players have always been a topic of concern. The naturalization of the Chinese men's basketball team Li Kaier once made countless fans full of expectations, thinking that the Chinese men's basketball team could use this to shine in the international arena. However, with the revelation of basketball media person Yang Yi, the complex operations and many problems behind Li Kaier's naturalization gradually emerged.

Li Kaier's naturalization was not directly dominated by the Chinese Basketball Association, but was borne by a CBA state-owned enterprise club and completed the lead. Due to resources and capabilities limitations, the Chinese Basketball Association only played a coordinated role in this naturalization. The amount of funds invested by the state-owned enterprise is huge. Although the specific amount has not been disclosed, judging from the fact that the Basketball Association only spent about US$1 million in the 2023 World Cup (bearing the sponsor), and this is only the use cost of a single World Cup, the investment of state-owned enterprise clubs is probably only a lot more and more. Not only that, if the Chinese men's basketball team wants Li Kaier to continue to represent the national team in the future, they still have to pay the fee again, which is undoubtedly a continuous and high cost.

Reviewing Li Kaier's performance in the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup, although the average number of 13 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game is not bad, but the overall performance of Chinese men's basketball team 1 win and 4 losses and ranking 29th still makes the effect of this naturalization questioned. Moreover, in June 2024, Li Kaier gradually faded out of the national team's vision due to contract renewal, age growth and lack of competition opportunities in the national team. Even though his agent denied withdrawal, there was actually no plan to represent the Chinese men's basketball team.

In May 2025, the Chinese Basketball Association issued new regulations to delegate the authority of naturalization to clubs and local sports bureaus, and each club will independently operate naturalized players and bear the costs. This policy draws on experience in the football field and tries to promote naturalization through market-oriented means. At the same time, the new regulations relax blood ties restrictions and no longer mandatory naturalized players to have Chinese ancestry, but have changed to "blood ties first", which means that naturalized targets will pay more attention to strength in the future.

Li Kaier's naturalization case allows us to see the problems in Chinese basketball's naturalization strategy. State-owned enterprise clubs have an advantage in naturalization with strong funds, while private clubs are difficult to follow up due to financial pressure, which will undoubtedly exacerbate the unfairness of the league. Relying solely on blood naturalization has also exposed limitations. In the future, "cultural identity + ability matching" should be emphasized, and practical players such as Guangsha foreign aid Barry Brown have become potential targets.

The naturalization path of Chinese basketball has just begun, and the future is full of challenges and opportunities. Whether the club-led naturalization strategy can balance costs and effects, and whether naturalized players who are more suitable for the Chinese men's basketball team can be found under the new regulations, these questions will be answered. But in any case, naturalization is just a means to enhance the strength of Chinese basketball. Strengthening the training of local players and improving the youth training system is the fundamental for the development of Chinese basketball.