China’s Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen faces great expectations in Portland and at home
The 20-year-old faces inevitable comparisons to NBA legend Yao Ming and will be brought in slowly, but he is ‘right there in the mix’
While rookie Yang Hansen prepares for his first NBA season, the Portland Trail Blazers are getting ready for the onslaught of attention their Chinese big man will bring to the team.
Expectations are high for the 20-year-old, who has faced the inevitable comparisons to fellow countryman and former NBA great Yao Ming.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said the 7ft 1in (2.15m) centre would be “right there in the mix” in Portland’s plans this season.
“I think Hansen’s done a really good job these last couple of months just trying to get situated, trying to understand what we’re doing. He’s definitely going to play,” Billups said.
There is no denying there is a certain amount of pressure on the Blazers to showcase Yang, who is a growing sensation back home. Portland’s Summer League games drew millions of viewers on streaming services such as Tencent in China. A free broadcast of the summer game between Portland and the Memphis Grizzlies drew a reported 5.2 million viewers on the platform.
Team president Dewayne Hankins said the Blazers would be looking to capitalise on the connection with new fans. The team is hiring a social media staffer who speaks Mandarin.