Professional basketball player Kyle Anderson said on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Thursday that he was considering wearing No 1 jersey for the Chinese team at the Basketball World Cup, hoping to get blessings from his fans.

Anderson, or Li Kaier, which he has taken for his Chinese name, obtained his Chinese citizenship in July. The basketball player made his debut earlier this month, donning the No. 32 shirt for a mini-tournament in Italy as China continued its World Cup preparations.

With No 1 Zeng Fanbo leaving the team due to injury, Anderson can inherit the number.

“I’ve worn the No. 1 jersey to meet challenges in many important moments of my basketball career. It has brought me infinite strength and motivation,” said Anderson in his post.

“The new NBA season is coming, and I will put on the familiar No. 1 jersey again. I just learned that the No 1 jersey can be chosen currently in the Chinese national team.”

“My relatives in China told me that No. 1 is a very special number, containing excellent meanings, such as success, continuous pursuit of excellence, and unity… Therefore, I am eager to wear the No. 1 jersey and spare no efforts with my brothers in the men’s basketball team at the World Cup without leaving any regrets,” he wrote.

At the end of the post, he asked his fans if they supported his choice of wearing  the number. In a poll he launched in another post, most fans have shown their support for this decision.

Li wore the No. 1 at the Memphis Grizzlies between 2018 and 2022.