Li Kaier has long been aware of withdrawing from the men s basketball team! It is difficult to bear the banner of auxiliary play. New naturalized candidates may become the savior of the Asian Cup?

The recent news in the basketball circle is really touching. As an old fan who has been following the Chinese men's basketball team for many years, when he heard that Mr. Su Qun revealed that Li Kaier no longer played for the national team, although he had a premonition in his heart, it was still a bit complicated to actually implement it. After all, this first naturalized player in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team once brought a lot of expectations, but now he faded out of the national team stage in this way, which really makes people want to talk about the story behind it.

I still remember those games in the 2023 World Cup, Li Kaile played 5 games in the national team jersey, and averaged 32.1 minutes of playing time, and he averaged 13 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. The data looks pretty average. But the team's overall record of 1 win and 4 losses is there. As a naturalized player, he was highly expected, but he was unable to carry the team forward. Later, looking at his performance in the NBA, he went to the Warriors and the Heat in the regular season, with data of 5.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds respectively. In the playoffs, he only averaged 7 minutes of playing time, and the data was almost negligible. These performances inevitably make people feel that his abilities may not really fit the needs of the national team.

He is 31 years old this year. His contract will not expire until the summer of 2027, and he will have an annual salary of 9.22 million and 9.66 million US dollars in the next two years. Although it is not considered a maximum salary in the NBA, it is also a stable contract. But when it comes to the national team level, the problem is different. What our men's basketball team needs is players who can stand up and take on the job at critical moments, and Li Kaier's style of assistive play is difficult to become a breakthrough point in the international arena. As the fans said, if it is really useful, how could the national team give up easily? The reality is so cruel. Competitive sports always speak with strength. If it is not suitable, it is not suitable. No matter how much expectations you expect, it cannot withstand the actual effect on the court.

But then again, the basketball circle has always been the old people going to the new people. Recently I heard that Guangsha’s small foreign aid Barry Brown has become a new naturalized hotline. The new FMVP averaged 30 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the finals, with a shooting percentage of 47% and 39% in both events, and its data is quite impressive. Think about it, if he could join the national team, he might inject new vitality into the team. As early as this summer's Asian Cup, you may be able to see him wearing the Chinese men's basketball robe. Although this matter has not been finalized, it has at least added some hope to the fans - after all, the national team's lineup must be constantly adjusted to find more suitable candidates, which is also an inevitable process for basketball development.

As an old fan, I can actually understand the choice of the national team. We are still exploring the path of naturalized players, and we have successful experiences and lessons from failures, but no matter what, it is all about making the Chinese men's basketball team better. Li Kaier's departure may be a regret, but looking forward, there will always be new possibilities. Just like we were looking forward to his joining back then, now we might as well give new candidates some time and trust. Maybe the next one that comes out can become the key point that the team needs. Isn’t the charm of basketball here? There will always be unknown challenges and new hopes waiting.