Blazers' Yang Hansen Almost Quit Basketball

The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Chinese center Yang Hansen with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, a selection which shocked the NBA Draft consensus.

Many projected Hansen to go in later portions of the first round or potentially even in the second round, but the Blazers made sure to get their guy.

The immediate reaction was confusion and backlash from fans and experts alike. A wave of criticism called out the front office for taking a player much higher than he deserved to go.

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Despite initial doubts, Hansen has impressed during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, showcasing why the front office was enamored with the big man.

While he is slowly becoming a fan favorite, Hansen revealed during an interview with Ben Goliver of The Washington Post that he almost quit basketball altogether as a child.

"Yang’s father poked around the local basketball community and landed him a spot on a middle school team," Goliver wrote in his profile on Hansen.

"Yang was only 8, and the team practiced outside in burning heat. After two days, he refused to get out of the car when his parents dropped him off and was ready to quit altogether.

"Yang’s father preached old-school values and insisted his son master something that could help him get into college; Yang experimented with table tennis, swimming, and taekwondo before returning to basketball."

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Hansen faced pressure from his father to maintain an active lifestyle in order to avoid gaining weight, which motivated his exploration of sports.

"I wasn’t that good at school, and I was a little bit of a fat boy," Yang told Goliver. "My father told me to try some sports, figure out what you want to do and lose some weight. My father told me: ‘Don’t become fat.'"

It is fair to say that his decision to stick with basketball ended up bearing fruit for the seven-footer. He is on the cusp of an NBA rotation and plays with a unique style as well.

Hansen is drawing comparisons to star Nikola Jokic as a player who can pass and create from the center position.

While he is far from the player that Jokic is, his prospects make him an intriguing player for Portland's future.

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.