What happens when an NBA vet discovers his roots… and ends up representing an entire nation?

In this episode of Pacific Rims, Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt sit down with Kyle Anderson—aka Li Kaier—to unpack one of the most unique stories in global basketball.

From tracing his ancestry back to Shenzhen… to becoming a naturalized Chinese citizen… to leading China men's national basketball team at the FIBA World Cup—this is bigger than basketball.

It’s about identity, culture, and what it really means to represent something greater than yourself.

💥 PLUS:

• The REAL difference between NBA and FIBA basketball

• The culture shock of Team China vs NBA life

• Why international basketball demands higher IQ + team play

• How China can become a global basketball power

0:00 – Welcome to Pacific Rims 🌏

0:50 – Introducing Kyle Anderson (Li Kaier)

1:30 – Sponsor: New Air Club ✈️

2:00 – Discovering his Chinese ancestry

3:30 – Family roots: Shenzhen → Jamaica → NBA

5:00 – Becoming a Chinese citizen & joining Team China

6:00 – Getting CUT from Team USA & motivation 🔥

7:00 – Representing China at the World Cup

9:00 – Language barriers & bonding without words

10:00 – Culture shock: NBA luxury vs national team grind

12:00 – Why FIBA basketball is tougher mentally

14:00 – Communication, coaching & international systems

17:00 – Future with Team China & World Cup goals

18:00 – How China can become a basketball powerhouse

19:30 – Life in China, food & culture (hot pot 🔥)

21:00 – Would Kyle play in the CBA?

23:00 – Identity, heritage & family connection

25:30 – UCLA roots & Pauley Pavilion memories

26:30 – Post-interview analysis: global hoops evolution

32:00 – Americans thriving overseas 🌏

37:00 – Future guests + closing thoughts

• Global basketball is evolving—and identity is part of the game
• The NBA isn’t the only path to impact
• Culture, connection, and competition are colliding

This episode is powered by New Air Club—the ultimate door-to-door private aviation service.

Skip the hassle. Travel like a pro team.

👉 Learn more: newairclub.com

#KyleAnderson #LiKaier #TeamChina #NBAGlobal #FIBA #PacificRims #UnitedWeCast

#BasketballCulture #ChinaBasketball #NBAInternational #GlobalHoops #CBA

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PROGRAMMING NOTE: In the video version of this episode, a clip of guest Andrew Gaze appearing on "Dancing With The Stars" is played; as a result, there is a brief stretch of silence in this audio-only version right around the two-minute mark.

Australia’s GOAT Andrew Gaze joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt for a wildly revealing Pacific Rims episode that starts with Dancing with the Stars stories… and ends with a reality check on global basketball power.

From surviving China trips with the Melbourne Tigers to breaking down how the Chinese Basketball Association has exploded in talent, facilities, and resources—Gaze explains why Asia is no longer “developing”… it’s arriving.

He also pulls back the curtain on:

• Why early international stars lacked NBA confidence (and today’s don’t)
• How Australia quietly exported its basketball brain across Asia
• The NIL era flipping global talent pipelines upside down
• His biggest career regret: passing on the NBA when the door was open
• And why today’s global game is more competitive—and more connected—than ever

Plus: the hilarious origin story of Bucher nearly getting stranded in China… and saved by Gaze.

If you think the NBA still owns basketball development, think again.

00:00 Welcome to Pacific Rims

00:52 Andrew Gaze intro + “Australia’s GOAT” claim

01:10 New Air Club sponsor read

02:00 Dancing with the Stars + beating Chris Hemsworth 👀

06:37 Bucher’s China survival story (Gaze to the rescue)

07:50 China’s basketball boom: talent, money, infrastructure

10:40 Australia exporting coaches & elevating Asia

13:30 Gaze’s Seton Hall journey + global recruiting evolution

18:50 NCAA controversy + missed NBA opportunity

21:30 Why early international players lacked NBA confidence

24:30 Dirk, Dražen & the global breakthrough era

28:00 NIL vs NBL: global talent war begins

32:00 Coaching his son + “coachability” plug

34:00 Yuki Kawamura + Japan’s rise (Bulls, national team)

42:30 Asian Games cuts + parity problem

45:00 Outro

#PacificRims #AndrewGaze #InternationalBasketball #NBAGlobal #NBL #CBA #NIL #BasketballDevelopment #YaoMing #JapanBasketball #NBA #UnitedWeCast

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The globe-trotting coach who turned a struggling Japanese women's team into Empress Cup champions breaks down what it really takes to win — and survive — in basketball's most overlooked markets.

He grew up playing rugby and cricket in England. He ended up coaching in the NBA. Now he's winning championships in Japan's women's pro league. Coach Tim Lewis joins Ric Bucher and Greg Stolt for one of the most wide-ranging conversations in Pacific Rims history — and every minute of it earns its place.

Lewis unpacks the brutal realities of coaching overseas: bad translators that can sink a season, political agendas masquerading as basketball decisions in Thailand, and Japan's deep-seated resistance to change even when they hired him to change things. He's blunt, self-aware, and clearly still hungry.

Then Ric and Greg break down the Asian World Cup Qualifying action from Okinawa — China's dramatic comebacks, Japan's debut under new coach Dai Oketani, and the increasingly loud question: is Korean guard Hyun-jung Li the next Asian star to crack the NBA? Plus: are Asian nations finally developing the global pathways that will make them competitive against Serbia, Germany, and the USA?

If you care about the future of international basketball — this is the episode.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:00 – Intro & Sponsor (New Air Club Private Jet Service)
• 0:51 – Introducing Coach Tim Lewis
• 2:17 – From England to Don Bosco Tech to UNH — Tim's unlikely American journey
• 3:33 – Playing to coaching: how a teaching background shaped his career
• 5:04 – What does Great Britain basketball actually look like?
• 6:23 – NBA expansion to London & Manchester: great idea or too soon?
• 8:16 – Player & coaching pathways from Great Britain: growing, but not enough
• 10:15 – What makes a coaching job worth taking?
• 11:56 – From the G League to Belgium to Japan: navigating the global game
• 13:27 – The #1 challenge of coaching in non-English speaking countries
• 13:57 – How working with Chris Finch & the Timberwolves shaped his philosophy
• 15:18 – Coaching women vs. coaching NBA players: what's actually different
• 17:28 – The cultural challenge: Thailand's political agendas & Japan's rigidity
• 22:10 – How to manage unrealistic expectations when you're an outsider coach
• 25:01 – Tim's most rewarding coaching experience (the answer may surprise you)
• 26:42 – SEGMENT: Asian World Cup Qualifying breakdown from Okinawa
• 27:02 – China beats Japan: was it as dominant as it looked?
• 29:50 – First look at new Japan coach Dai Okutani — fair assessment
• 31:21 – Is Korean guard Lee Young an NBA prospect? The honest answer
• 34:10 – Who gets credit for Lee Young's elite off-ball movement?
• 35:54 – Are Asian nations finally building global development pathways?
• 39:09 – The gap: what Asian teams do that will get punished by Serbia & the USA
• 41:08 – Wrap-up

#PacificRims #AsianBasketball #TimLewis #NBAAsia #JapanBasketball #KoreanBasketball #ChinaBasketball #WomensBasketball #WorldCupQualifying #OverseasCoaching #RicBucher #GregStolt

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