The Portland Trail Blazers created quite a splash when they defied expectations, selecting Chinese center Yang Hansen 16th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 7-footer was relatively unknown in wider NBA circles,
projected as a second-round selection at best. But from the moment his name got called in the draft, through a pass-heavy, energetic Summer League, Hansen has continued to delight and intrigue.
The latest example of Hansen’s “gift that keeps on giving” approach to his professional journey was an extensive letter published in The Players’ Tribune today. The piece is titled “To My New Friends.” In it, the international ingenue describes the pathway and habits that led him to this point and the new things he’s discovering about Portland now that he’s arrived.
Among the most-repeated (and most amusing) assertions in the biographical piece is that Hansen simply doesn’t like basketball as much as his peers. He described trundling off to a Chinese boarding school emphasizing sports and fitness in fifth grade, then promptly being miserable because he didn’t like to sweat in hot weather, didn’t love the sport itself, and routinely got dominated by smaller opponents who had worked at the game longer. Two things saved him from misery. First, the town built indoor courts, rescuing him from oppressive heat. Second, he really loved the food at the school.
There were times when I thought about quitting, but one of the things that motivated me to improve my game was food. I really love to eat. I liked everything the school served — barbecue, hot pot, fried rice … just everything. And somehow even though I ate more, my weight began to lessen, which helped me play better and move faster. By high school, I had learned and grown as a player.
Even though Hansen was “bored” watching NBA games (even Finals matchups) that delighted his peers–an assertion LeBron James and Steph Curry may make him pay for should they match up in the coming season–he finally found inspiration in a particular player, a fellow international import to the league.
At one point, a coach for that team asked me which centers I liked to watch, and I responded the same way I always had when someone asked me that question. Yao Ming or Shaq, basically. But this guy, he told me: “Pay attention to Nikola Jokic from now on.”
From there, I studied Jokic. I learned everything I could from watching how he played as a big man who passed and saw the floor like a guard. (A couple of weeks ago, my manager surprised me with a signed Jokic jersey, and it is one of the greatest things I have ever received.) I modeled my game after his in every way I could.
With template in place, Hansen’s focus turned to the NBA draft and preparing for same. When the idea that he could make the NBA took hold–buoyed by national awards and participation in the Chinese Basketball Association–he was ready for the challenge. His work continued up to, and through, pre-draft workouts for several teams.
Pre-draft was a blur for me — I just remember how busy everything was. I flew so much, and visited so many cities.
In those workouts, I was quite … how do you say it? I guess the word would be aggressive. I wanted to showcase my skills, but, as part of that, I wanted to show that I wasn’t soft. So I would talk smack to the people I was going up against and try to provoke them. I would play mental games and taunt them. Maybe some teams weren’t expecting that from me, and when I showed that side, maybe they liked it, I don’t know.
At least maybe Portland did.
And now, of course, since that night when the Trail Blazers drafted me, everything in my life has changed … and I’m still getting used to all this new attention.
Now that he’s in town, Hansen is busy learning English (at which he claims he’s improving), learning to appreciate the Trail Blazers, and, in a throwback to his youth, trying every Chinese food restaurant within walking distance.
The letter is lengthy and well worth a read for anyone who wants to know more about Portland’s high-profile rookie. Feel free to share your favorite parts in the comment section below and hey…if you have any local restaurant recommendations for the new center, share them!
