Texas Tech Ex Christian Anderson Joins German Teammate with Hornets

Christian Anderson became the fourth Texas Tech player ever to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft on Tuesday, joining Tony Battie (No. 5 pick in 1997), Zhaire Smith (No. 16 pick in 2018), and Jarrett Culver (No. 6 pick in 2019).

The sharp-shooting combo guard was picked No. 18 by the Charlotte Hornets.

He'll begin his NBA career alongside a familiar face in Hannes Steinbach, who was picked by the team just four spots earlier and competed with Anderson on the German national team during their youth.

The two were members of last summer's FIBA U19 World Cup team that medaled for Germany.

Anderson recorded 18 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in the finals against the United States on the way to receiving All-Star Five honors in the tournament.

"Playing for the German national team and competing in the Big 12 has prepared me for this moment," Anderson said. "I've played against elite competition internationally and against the best college players in the country. I'm just excited to show what I can do at the next level."

Steinbach was equally as impactful throughout his recent international experience. The Wurzburg native averaged 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds across seven FIBA tournament games a year ago. In four of those games, he posted a double-double and shot over 70 percent from the field overall.

After his selection, countryman and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki shared a message to Steinbach and his family. Nowitzki was a teammate of Hannes' father, Burkhard, as the two grew up playing in the German system.

"Congratulations, my man. Another kid from Wurzburg in the league! Incredible," Nowitzki said. "I've known you since you were born, followed your journey, and I'm super proud of you - how you handled everything. Enjoy this moment with your family."

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The Hornets made some noise last season by improving their win total from 19 to 44 games, largely off the surprising impact of last year's top rookie, Kon Knueppel. Charlotte hopes the addition of two first-rounders could lead to another leap up the East standings in 2026-27.

Said Anderson: "What's up, Charlotte! Excited to be here. Go Hornets! Ready to go to work and win some games."