On August 21st, in the home of the Li family in Xinmu Village, Pinghu, Shenzhen, people prepared food and materials for ancestral worship, looking forward to the arrival of a special relative.

This special relative is Li Kaier. Li Kaier, also known as Kyle Anderson from the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, obtained Chinese citizenship on July 24th this year. One hundred years ago, Li Kaier's maternal great-grandfather, Li Chongxin, left Pinghu and had a big family on the other side of the ocean.

Five years ago, Li Kaier and his mother Susanna came back to Xinmu once and were warmly welcomed by the Li family. They cooked and made Tangyuan (Chinese sweet dumplings) together. This trip not only helped Li Kaier reunite with his ancestral family but also foster a sense of identification with Chinese culture.

Five years later, when Li Kaier returned to his hometown once again, facing the Li family members who came to welcome him, Li said happily,"These are all my family."

At Li Tianping's home, Li Kaier and his mother Susana talked a lot with Tianping's family. Li Kaier and other boys in Li family compared their height for fun, and the paintings sent by his 8-year-old niece are even more memorable for Li Kaier. In Tianping's view, Li Kaier and Susana are very close to him. "Although we don't speak the same language, we have deepened our understanding of each other through translation. They know a lot about what happened in our family, and we also know from them how our predecessors have developed in America. "

This time, Li Kaier and Susanna voluntarily suggested visiting the cemetery to pay respects to their ancestors. "This is Kaier's biggest wish. He hopes to pay respects to our ancestors at the cemetery, which shows his identification with Chinese bloodline and culture. He is my brother, one of our family members. His name has already been written into our family genealogy, and he offers incense and bows just like us during ancestor worship. He is a basketball genius, and I feel very proud to have such a talented cousin," said Li Tianping.

NBA球员李凯尔回到中国家乡

8月21日，在深圳平湖新木新村李氏族人的家里，人们热心准备好用来祭祖的食物与物料，期待着一位特殊亲人的到来。

这位特殊的亲人便是李凯尔。美职篮明尼苏达森林狼队球员李凯尔于7月24日获得中国国籍。一百年前，李凯尔的曾外祖父李崇新从平湖新木走出，在大洋彼岸开枝散叶。

五年前，当时叫凯尔·安德森的他和母亲苏珊娜曾来过这里，受到了李氏族人的热情招待，一起下厨、包汤圆。李凯尔一行不仅找回了失散的亲人，还找到了对中国文化的认同感。

五年过后，当李凯尔再一次回到家乡。面对来迎接自己的李氏族人，李凯尔高兴地说：“这些都是我的家人。”

在李天平家中，李凯尔以及母亲苏珊娜和他的家人们聊了很多。李凯尔和同族的小伙子们比身高，8岁侄女送上的画更是令他难忘。在李天平看来，李凯尔和苏珊娜都是非常亲切的人，“虽然我们语言不通，但通过翻译我们加深了彼此之间的了解。他们知道了很多我们家里发生的事，而我们也从他们那里知道了前辈在那边有怎样的发展。”

这次回家，李凯尔和苏珊娜主动提出要到墓园祭拜祖先，“凯尔这次回来的最大愿望就是到墓园祭祖，这说明他对中国血脉和中国文化的认同。他就是我的兄弟，我们的家人。他的名字已经写进了我们的族谱，在祭祖时他和我们一样上香、鞠躬。他是一名篮球天才，有这样一位表弟，我感到很骄傲。”李天平说。

图｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 钟振彬
文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 郝浩宇
译｜白心怡
责编 | 王瑜瑛