The NBA Portland Trail Blazers officially welcomed their new member in the 2025 draft - 7-foot-1 center Hansen Yang from China.

The 20-year-old inside player was selected with the 16th pick in the first round and officially entered the NBA stage. At the press conference, Yang Hansen responded to his interests in the United States with humor: "I like to sleep, play PS5, and eat."

Last season, Yang Hansen played for the Qingdao Eagles of the CBA, averaging 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The Portland Trail Blazers began tracking him two years ago.

Head coach Chauncey Billups believes that Yang Hansen has solid basic training and has already mastered many things that rookies need to learn from scratch: "He has been taught correctly and I am very excited about his joining."

In order to get Hansen Young, the Portland Trail Blazers spared no expense and sent Cedric Cowherd, the 11th pick, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Hansen Young's draft pick, a 2028 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.

General Manager Joe Cronin called Hansen Yang a "very, very unique talent" with excellent height, basketball IQ and passing vision. He is also expected to be able to shoot long-range and free throws in the future and has multi-faceted development potential.

When asked about being compared to "Little Jokic" or "the next Yao Ming," Young humbly responded: "That's a great honor. I will learn from every outstanding player and work hard to improve myself every day."

With Yang Hansen entering the NBA, it is worth looking forward to whether this Chinese center with both height and skills can become the next international superstar in the future.