Blazers' Yang Hansen Had Conversation With Yao Ming Before Coming to NBA

Portland Trail Blazers first-round pick Yang Hansen spoke about his conversation with Hall of Fame center Yao Ming.

Ming was a pioneer in basketball in China, as he broke through to the NBA and established himself as one of the better big men in the league.

He was the first player of Chinese descent to become a star in the NBA. Since his storied NBA career, several players from China have followed in his footsteps.

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Hansen is one of those players, and during an interview with Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, he revealed how his conversation with the legendary Chinese big man went.

“It’s a lot of pressure, for sure,” Yang told Golliver. “I just want to show the people in China I’m doing good. Before I headed to the States, Yao called me and shared some of his experiences.

“He told me to enjoy your food, enjoy your drinks, enjoy your sleep and enjoy everything. Yao is the icon for Chinese basketball.

"He’s special. I’m just a rookie. I can feel a lot of expectations and anticipation on me. Yao is number one in paradise. Compared to him, I’m cold ash in a pot.”

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During the 2025 NBA Draft, China's latest export landed with the Blazers — Yang Hansen. Draft experts projected the center to go much lower in the draft than he ended up getting picked.

Many critiqued the Blazers for reaching on the raw Chinese player, but Portland's front office believed in the 20-year-old.

While he may be getting mentored by Ming, Hansen plays like a modern center who can play-make for others through his size and vision on the court.

He is still young in his career, having yet to make his NBA debut, but he showed promising flashes during the NBA Summer League and may end up being a steal in the draft.

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