Many NBA players have different stories for how they started playing basketball, but Portland Trail Blazers' rookie Yang Hansen's is unique.

The Trail Blazers surprised many when they took the 7-foot-1 center in the first round of the draft last month, but Yang has delighted on and off the court.

As we near the end of NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, we have some sense of which players drafted outside the lottery may return positive value.

A lot of people were surprised when Yang Hansen was selected at No. 16 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft ... including Yang Hansen. The center from China admitted he was not prepared

The Portland Trail Blazers are shutting down first-round pick Yang Hansen for the remainder of the NBA Summer League. Luckily, it isn't due to an injury concer

One of the surprises at the 2025 NBA draft was the Portland Trail Blazers selecting Chinese Yang Hansen at No. 16 overall, a player many considered a fringe first-round prospect at best.

Is Yang Hansen the Steal of the NBA Draft? Every NBA Draft has its fair share of surprises, and Yang Hansen is quickly making a case as this year’s biggest one. The 7-foot rookie didn’t generate major buzz before draft night,

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Yang Hansen walks to the stage after being selected as the 16th pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

We're not sure how familiar the Portland Trail Blazers' front office is with the sunken San José, but they displayed a similarly dauntless mindset by selecting Yang Hansen, a 7-foot-1 center from China,