Christian Anderson writing history for Germany
Germany's rise in international basketball has many faces but the biggest one at the youth ranks right now is Christian Anderson, who has written his name all over the history books of the country.
Germany's rise in international basketball has many faces but the biggest one at the youth ranks right now is Christian Anderson, who has written his name all over the history books of the country.
Anderson’s college experience is going differently as originally planned but the 18-year-old star German talent has excelled at Texas Tech University. While he has big hopes this season for his team in Lubbock, the point guard also has big dreams next summer at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 - especially after making history with Germany.
(Note: A shorter version of this interview was printed in Q&A manner in issue number 146 of the German language basketball magazine BIG).
Anderson is averaging 9.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 turnovers in 26 minutes through nine games for the Red Raiders, who have put together a 9-2 record as they are scheduled to start Big 12 play on December 31. His best game came in a blowout win over Lamar as he scored 20 points on 2 of 2 three-pointers to go with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals.
“I feel good so far. I feel the team is very together and I feel my place in the team fits with what we have going on. We have big things ahead of us. And I think we can be a really good team,” Anderson said.
Texas Tech will certainly be tested once the Big 12 contests start given that the conference includes four teams in the Top 25 of the national rankings - Iowa State, Kansas, Houston and Cincinnati - as well as Arizona State, Baylor, Oklahoma State and West Virginia, who all got votes for the national rankings; and the traditionally strong program Arizona.
“I am somebody who wants to play basketball and compete at the highest level, so competing against the best players and the best teams is definitely something I wanted to go against. Being in the Big-12 and being in the best conference in the country that played a big part in (choosing Texas Tech) because playing against the best teams was something I was looking for,” Anderson said confidently.
Anderson, of course, was hoping to be somewhere else this freshman season in college basketball - namely in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan. He committed to the Wolverines before his sophomore season in high school in October 2021, mainly because of the connection he had with Juwan Howard.
“The main thing that had attracted me to Juwan Howard was just the belief he had in me when not a lot of people did. Also the family environment and just the connection that we had from the beginning. Just him as a person. And what he was doing at Michigan is really what attracted us to the program,” Anderson said of his relationship with the former NBA star.
Howard had stayed in contact with Anderson over the years and then just a few months before the point guard was expected to finally start his career with the maize and blue, Howard was fired on March 15, 2024.
“It was something you don’t want to hear, but you just have to keep going and you can’t be stuck on one thing that has happened,” Anderson remembered. “Yeah it was hard, but I definitely have found another great place with another great coaching staff and great team to play for. It all worked out in the end.”
Howard would be replaced by Dusty May and Anderson would eventually de-commit from Michigan.
“The main reason I de-committed was I wasn’t familiar with the new coach coming in and what he was trying to do so. At the end of the day I committed to Juwan Hoard and his belief in me,” he said.
Three German clubs among options for Anderson
Anderson had a number of places he was considering when thinking about where to take his next steps. His list of colleges was comprised of Texas Tech, Florida, Stanford, Tulane and Fresno State while he was also contemplating turning pro in Germany with ALBA Berlin, RASTA Vechta and FIT/One Würzburg Baskets as the three choices.
When asked what made him decide for college over playing in Germany, he said: “Being from America and playing here and American basketball is something that I am really familiar with. I was familiar with the youth leagues in Germany but not as familiar with the pro league. Playing in college was the more logical option for me to make it to the next level rather than going pro.”
The winner eventually was the Red Raiders.
Anderson debuts for Germany
Germany was an option for Anderson because of his family connection. His father, Christian Anderson Sr., was born there and played as a professional there and in Spain before retiring in 2010. Christian Jr was born in Atlanta and he lived in Germany for one year.
The next time he was in Germany was in 2022 when he was preparing for the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2022, Division B. Anderson was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament as Germany went undefeated to take the crown and earn promotion back to Division A for the first time since 2019.
“It was my first time being outside the country in a long time so being in a new part of the world and being around a whole new group of people who I have never met before and then going on to win the whole thing was definitely a great experience for me,” said Anderson, who averaged 16.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals. “Obviously proving that Germany was one of the best countries was definitely something that was a great feeling to do.”
History with Germany
Despite being a year younger than the rest of the competition, Anderson was invited to the German U18 team the following summer.
“Just coming off a gold medal in the Division B and the great experience that I had in that year definitely encouraged me to play again. And kind of do the same thing while playing up a year and in the Division A level. That was the main motivation,” Anderson said.
Germany were undefeated in the first five games of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023 and then lost to Serbia in the Semi-Finals. The team bounced back to beat France for third place - the first time Germany ever reached the podium at the important U18 level.
“It was important to show that Germany is one of the top countries and medalling for the first time was definitely a great feeling. But we came up short so that year was definitely motivation for the next year to go and do better,” said Anderson, who collected 14.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.4 steals as one of six players playing a year younger.
Lovett to Oak Hill
That experience showed Anderson even further how strong he can play and he made a move at the high school level back home in the United States. He had accomplished just about all he could at the Lovett School in Atlanta. He surpassed 2,000 career points in just three seasons and officially became Lovett’s all-time leading scorer. He averaged 26.1 points per game for the season including six 30-point games and three 40-point games.
In their first year in the 4A classification, Lovett became region champions for the first time since 2007. And Anderson is the first Lovett boys basketball player to be named First Team All-State three times and the first to do it in three consecutive years.
Instead of playing his senior season at Lovett, Anderson spent the year at Oak Hill Academy, a famed college prep institution with alumni including Carmelo Anthony, Josh Smith, Rajon Rando and, most recently, Cody Martin and Keldon Johnson. Oak Hill was No. 10 by ESPN’s national rankings including a number of games against the elite programs across the country, including Montverde with Cooper Flagg.
“Going from Lovett, which was basically playing against the best teams in Atlanta, to going to Oak Hill and playing a more national schedule was a little different. But the experience and playing on TV and doing something similar to what we do in college now defintiely was nice to do for my senior year,” said Anderson, who averaged 19.1 points while shooting 45.2 percent on three-pointers and 4.6 assists per game and was a McDonald's all-American nominee.
Anderson returns to Germany under cloud of college choice
Anderson came back to Germany in late March and early April for the 2024 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim and Viernheim. The cloud of his college choice was still hanging over him as the trip was just two weeks after Coach Howard had been fired at Michigan.
Anderson was not distracted though as he averaged 20.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in six games. Germany suffered losses to Australia and Japan in the group phase and then faced Serbia in the Semi-Finals - a Serbian team that included two players from the previous summer when the Balkan side won in the Semi-Finals of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023.
Anderson was held to 10 points and committed 6 turnovers in an 82-76 loss to Serbia. The hosts did bounce back to beat Italy 95-80 to take third place with Anderson pouring in 25 points.
Germany reigns supreme over Europe
The Albert Schweitzer Tournament was a good chance for Anderson and the rest of the team to jell ahead of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 as the group had changed since the 2022 U16 Division B team.
For the 2024 tournament in Tampere, Finland, Anderson was back from the U18 team in 2023 along with Hannes Steinbach, Jack Kayil and Ivan Kharchenkov. Anderson, Kayil and Kharchenkov were playing a third summer together as they were on the U16 Division B team from 2022. Also coming back from that 2022 team - which was the 2006-born generation’s cadet championship - were Amon Dörries, Jordan Müller, Nico Kodjoe and Declan Duru, the latter being one of the stars of the 2007-born generation.
Anderson shined again in Finland, averaging 20.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals as the country won their first-ever U18 crown.
Anderson showed up brightest when it mattered most: collecting 25 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in a win over Slovenia in the Semi-Finals. He then drained Serbia in the Final with 31 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists - the Serbian team being almost the same extremely talented side from the Albert Schweitzer Tournament a couple months earlier.
“That was definitely a great feeling because coming up a little short the year before while we did make history we thought as a team it wasn’t good enough. So coming back the next year and beating the team we lost to in the Semi-Finals and beating them to become European champions was a great feeling and it meant a lot,” Anderson said. “It showed that we are the best team in Europe.”
No second MVP for Anderson
Germany had just made history by winning the title and both Anderson and Hannes Steinbach had great tournaments and were named to the All-Star Five. But to Anderson’s surprise, the Most Valuable Player award went to Ben Saraf, who led the tournament in scoring (28.1) and efficiency (27.0) but could only help Israel to fourth place.
“We went 7-0 and won the whole thing obviously - and also being on a team that had two All-Star Five players and our team had four or more pros on the team - something you have to take into account. They gave it to a guy who went 3-4, played a great tournament but still went 3-4. That was their decision though. I am not holding anything against anybody. But it’s just a little extra motivation,” Anderson said about the MVP decision.
Fourth straight summer for Germany at FIBA U19 World Cup?
By winning the U18 EuroBasket, Germany locked up a ticket to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 in Lausanne, Switzerland. It will be just the fourth time the country is competing in the global junior competition and first time since 2017. In that summer in Egypt, the 1998-99 generation with the likes of Isaac Bonga, Oscar Da Silva, Louis Olinde, Nelson Weidemann, Philipp Herkenhoff, Ferdinand Zylka and Richard Freudenberg took fifth place.
That would give Anderson a chance to play against the other big countries in the world, including USA, Australia (again after the AST loss), Canada and China.
“I’m looking forward to playing against those teams, especially USA and some of those teams we already have played in the AST earlier. It’s definitely something I am looking forward to,” Anderson said.
A possible matchup against United States could be even more special for Anderson if Grant McCasland is once again on the USA coaching staff as he was at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024 - as assistant coach. McCasland is Anderson’s head coach at Texas Tech.
Being part of Germany push is motivating
It is an exciting time to be part of German basketball. After taking third place at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 in Berlin, Germany shocked the globe by winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. And then this summer they reached the Semi-Finals of the Olympics for the first time - though Germany ended up leaving Paris empty-handed with just a fourth placed finish.
“It was an exciting time to see Germany at the top against all the top nations, even the US. It was a great feeling to watch that happen,” Anderson said of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
“When Germany beat USA (in the Semi-Finals) it was kind of validation and a great feeling to see Germany and where they fit in among all the other teams in the world. And me playing for the German national team it was showing that I am playing for one of the best countries in the world,” Anderson said.
“It’s motivating to say we’re one of the best teams and representing that country is something that takes a lot of pride and having been world champions it’s something that gives you a standard to hold up to. Just playing with that and knowing you can maybe do something like that is motivation in itself.”
Representing Germany at senior level
Anderson only has two more summers of playing at youth level for Germany - at the FIBA U19 World Cup next year and then possibly at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket - in theory both in 2025 and 2026. It seems chances are high he will play next summer in Lausanne but whether Anderson will commit a sixth straight summer to the German youth ranks is questionable.
Still, there is the question about him playing for the German senior team, to which he said: “I’ve been preparing to play at the highest level all my life. And playing at the Olympics and representing Germany would be a great honor.”
At the time of the interview, when asked what kind of communication he has had with the new German national team head coach Alex Mumbru, Anderson answered: “I am in close communication with the German federation and I will talk to coach soon.”
Not afraid to be role model
One of the things about having success is that players become popular and in many cases turn into role models. Anderson posted on social media that he received a lot of messages from youngsters saying they look up to him. And he really revels in that.
“It’s a great feeling to be somebody who is looked up to and I have always been doing things the right way and present myself in the correct fashion,” he said. “I would say everything comes organically and I don’t have to change anything.”
Another Anderson making headlines
Christian Anderson Jr. is not the only basketball-playing son in the family making headlines. Lucai played with Christian at Oak Hill last season as a freshman and held his own.
“I think he has a bright future in the game,” said Christian. “Last year he played alongside a lot of D1 talents at just 14.”
Lucai followed the family to Texas and enrolled at Trinity Christian and is dominating there. He recently dropped 36 points in a game. The younger Anderson brother has already received an offer from Arizona State.
Another Anderson playing for Germany?
The 2009-born Lucai Anderson has already drawn the interest of the German federation, who nominated him to a U15 camp but he could not come. But Germany are working hard to bring him to the youth ranks like his older brother.
It seems like chances are good that Jerai Anderson joins the German team next summer for the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2025. That would give Germany a team that should compete for a medal - which would also mean a spot at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026.
The German team already is stocked with talent including Fabian Kayser, Casper Vossenberg, Roko Jerkic, Djordje Klaric, Marko Volf and Jona Drücke.
Anderson with big goals for Red Raiders
For now, the family headliner remains Christian Anderson and the point guard has big goals this season for Red Raiders.
“Right now some of my short-term goals are winning a Big-12 championship and a national championship in college while also making the All-Freshman First Team,” he said boldly.
“As far as my big goals, obviously reaching the NBA and being one of the best players in the NBA. That’s something that has always been a big goal of mine.”
Until then there will be plenty of high points and an occasional low point. But Christian Anderson has been mastering them both up to now
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