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If you use it again, you have to pay for it. Yang Yi revealed the inside story of Li Kaier s naturalization! He will not play for the Chinese men s basketball team again

11:27pm, 18 May 2025【Basketball】

The famous basketball commentator Yang Yi revealed the inside story of Li Kaier, a naturalized player of the Chinese men's basketball team, in his personal program. He said that he had to pay for it if he used it again, and Li Kaier would not play for the Chinese men's basketball team again. As for this year's Asian Cup, Li Kaile will not play in the game, and naturalized players will not be allowed due to the tight time.

Yang Yi revealed that Li Kaier's naturalization costs were not directly borne by the Basketball Association, but were funded through the state-owned enterprise behind a CBA club. The company paid a high fee to complete the naturalization process, but the contract was only for one event in the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup. If the Chinese men's basketball team wants to continue to use Li Kaier, they need to renegotiate and pay the fees. However, in terms of money or the characteristics of playing, Yang Yi does not think that Li Kaier will play games for the Chinese team in the future.

According to the description given by Yang Yi, Li Kaier's naturalization operation is essentially a "one-time transaction", the fees paid by the state-owned enterprise are "huge", and the contract does not include long-term cooperation terms. This means that after the 2023 World Cup, Li Kaier's cooperative relationship with the Chinese men's basketball team has automatically terminated, and whether to renew the contract in the future depends entirely on the new negotiation results of both sides; Yang Yi further pointed out that Li Kaier will not play in the Asian Cup of the Men's Basketball Team in August 2025.

, and Li Kaier himself and his team did not respond to the participation. Perhaps it was involved in "the contract has expired and has not been renewed", and the Chinese Basketball Association has not yet responded publicly to this matter.

This operation method is not an isolated case in the sports world. In my opinion, this matter is revealed from beginning to end - spending money, but the accounts must be settled clearly.

The Basketball Association does not pay for the money, so the state-owned enterprises behind the club pay out, which not only avoids fiscal risks, but also completes naturalized KPIs. But the question is, is the money from state-owned enterprises blowing from strong winds? To put it bluntly, it’s the money of the people, and the sustainability is not high. What's even more amazing is the contract terms. The money given to each session is given to each session. Li Kaier's team is not stupid. He plays in the NBA with an annual salary of nearly 10 million US dollars. Why do he serve as a "voluntary labor" for the Chinese men's basketball team?

Yang Yi mentioned the key point that Li Kaier is a "system player" and needs a strong team to support him to perform. Only when the stronger the teammates are, can he become stronger. It is too difficult to expect him to become the core that affects the trend of the game. But what is the level of the Chinese men's basketball team? Asia is not considered a hegemon. Is it that he is expected to be a savior? There are Hachimura Shiraki + Watanabe + Yuki Kawamura in Japan. We still have the idea that "it is better than nothing". Is this typical "poor stationery more"?

The most humorous thing is Yang Yi's words "I can't match the money he wants". This may be the reason why Li Kaier will not play games for the Chinese men's basketball team; what is the purpose of state-owned enterprises spending money? name? profit? Or leadership achievements? It’s better to spend this money on youth training. Maybe two local Li Kaier will be able to produce in ten years.

Li Kaier's team was probably confused. He thought he could open up the Chinese market, but it turned out to be a "single-time paid experience card". It's normal for them not to renew their contract. What would you choose if you were the ones? Get a contract + commercial endorsement in the NBA, or come to the Chinese men's basketball team to play "voluntary work"?

After all, this matter exposed that Chinese basketball always wants to take shortcuts, but refuses to bend down to plant trees. It’s not that naturalized players are not good, but you have to figure it out - are you going to hire a "foreign coach" to lead the team, or buy a "luxury product" to support the scene? Now it seems that we chose the latter, which is why Teacher Yang Yi believes that Li Kaier's performance cannot match the money he wants.