Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen focused and ready for 2025 NBA Summer League debut

Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen appeared excited to make his Summer League debut with his new team at 8 p.m. Friday against the Golden State Warriors.

• WATCH

:

Blazers vs Warriors basketball live for free with Fubo

(free trial), and by

signing up with DIRECTV

(free trial). You can watch the

NBA Summer League on ESPN+ for $11.99/month

.

Yang, while speaking with the media following Thursday’s practice in Las Vegas, said he planned to play his game and not let the attention he’s received change his style of play.

“Just focus on my own game and show what I have,” Yang told reporters.

Yang came to the Blazers as the 16th pick in the first round of last month’s NBA draft. He has garnered a lot of attention, given the limited number of players from China who have played in the NBA.

The 7-foot-1 center said he hopes that if he finds success, he will influence children in China to work hard to follow him into the NBA.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t, but you need to keep working hard every day,” Yang said through his interpreter, Chris Liu. “I wish that I could be an example for everyone from Asia. Maybe try. Just give it a try.”

Yang played the past two seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association, where he said he gained valuable experience facing different schemes.

But the NBA is certainly more physical, he attested.

“Everyone tries to show what they have on the court,” Yang said.

Yang played with Team China in the 2024 California Summer League against NBA talent. However, this will be a different experience given that he is a year older and will be playing alongside NBA players and hopefuls.

Another difference, Yang said with a laugh, was that for the first time, he didn’t have to carry his own gear and uniform.

Plus, Yang said the team has developed good chemistry in a short amount of time.

“It’s pretty easy,” he said. “I feel pretty happy to get along with them.”

Blazers summer league coach Ronnie Burrell said the plan is to place Yang in positions to succeed and to place him in uncomfortable situations he’s not used to, such as crashing the glass, rim protecting and playing at a fast pace.

“He’s dived right into it and he’s not afraid … ” Burrell told reporters. “I know he’s excited. I’m sure there might be some nerves out there in a guy’s first summer league action. But I think he’s prepared. We’re all excited to see him do his thing.”

Yang, at one point during the interview session, was asked in Mandarin to name his all-time NBA starting five.

He responded: Denver center Nikola Jokic, Dallas forward Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving.

Latest Blazers news

• Editorial: Oregon must lob a dunk for the next Trail Blazers owner

• Trail Blazers’ Yang Hansen scores 10 points in Summer League loss to Memphis

• Where to watch Trail Blazers vs Grizzlies summer league basketball streaming free tonight

• Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen showed well during Summer League debut

• Where to watch Trail Blazers summer league basketball streaming free tonight; TV channel, odds

— Aaron Fentress |

afentress@Oregonian.com

|

@AaronJFentress

(Twitter),

@AaronJFentress

(Instagram),

@AaronFentress

(Facebook)

About The Author