US Edition
‘Chinese Jokic’ Yang Hansen Selected at 16th Pick in NBA Draft, Day Before 20th Birthday
- On June 25, 2025, in New York, the Portland Trail Blazers used the 16th overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft to acquire Yang Hansen, a center from China.
- The Blazers traded down from the 11th pick to 16th, acquiring future draft picks after years of scouting Yang, who was projected mostly as a second-round pick.
- Yang, who made his debut in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2023, posted averages of 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season, while topping the league with a total of 119 blocks; he was regarded as a talented yet inexperienced prospect.
- Blazers GM Joe Cronin praised Yang's high basketball IQ and ability to make teammates better, calling him "a very, very unique talent" they have watched for years.
- Yang turned 20 on June 26, 2025, and his unexpected middle-first-round selection suggests Portland aims to solidify its center position, likely ending the tenures of current big men Ayton and Williams III.
84 Articles
84 Articles
Leader-Telegram
Trail Blazers see 7-2 Chinese center Yang Hansen as a unique and versatile talent
Yang Hansen is going to fit into American culture just fine. The Trail Blazers' 7-foot-1 Chinese center was introduced to Portland on Friday, and was asked about his interests. Turns out, he’s already a gamer. Yang was the 16th pick…
197-centimeter-tall Haoxi Wang, 17, could make history. He could become the first Chinese to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft. The answer will come on Saturday night.
Blazers’ surprising first-round NBA draft pick is a talker in basketball world
The Portland Trail Blazers shocked many in the basketball world on Wednesday night by moving down in the first round of the NBA draft from 11th to 16th in a proposed trade with the Memphis Grizzlies that landed them another big man, the 7-foot-2 Yang Hansen. Read more...
The NBA Draft Provides Blessed Phrases Like "Chinese Jokic"
The first round of the NBA draft on Thursday was pretty boring, with a few exceptions. Ace Bailey's strange, oafish attempts to get himself on an East Coast team of his choosing ended with him going to the Utah Jazz at No. 5. The New Orleans Pelicans made what appears to be a very dumb trade in order to take Derik Queen at No. 13. The Brooklyn Nets drafted one million guards. But nothing was as exciting as the arrival of Yang Hansen. Yang, proje…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
