Yang blazes trail to NBA

His face lit up, eyes wide open, and the whole country went as wild as Yang Hansen did. Soaked in huge disbelief and excitement, it was a historic night for not only the young center's budding career, but also the future of Chinese basketball.

Unexpected, yet making total sense, Yang was drafted into the NBA in the first round at the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night in Brooklyn, New York. The Portland Trail Blazers, using a trade from Memphis, selected the Qingdao Eagles star with the 16th pick overall, leaving the nation celebrating an NBA Draft pick for the first time in nine years.

It caught the entire Chinese hoops community off guard when the Trail Blazers staked their claim on the talented youngster much earlier than his projected second-round slot.

Hearing his name called by league commissioner Adam Silver amid worldwide attention, Yang took a few seconds to gather his poise, tided up his suit before proudly stepping on his dream stage to rapturous applause at the Barclays Center, and the nationwide cheers from across the Pacific.

The 7-foot-1 (2.16-meter) center from East China's Shandong province has etched his name in history by becoming only the third Chinese first-round pick into the league, following in the footsteps of legend Yao Ming (1st in 2002) and retired star Yi Jianlian (6th in 2007), and by being the first selected since his national teammate Zhou Qi was picked at 43rd overall in 2016 by the Houston Rockets.

And there was no better occasion than on the eve of his 20th birthday to realize his long-cherished NBA dream, with Yang due to celebrate the milestone on Thursday in the States.

"To be honest, I felt a bit sleepy (waiting in the crowd) at that moment, and suddenly all the cameras moved toward me. And I was like: 'This can't be happening'. I wasn't expecting it this early," Yang confessed in an ESPN interview.

"My legs felt numb (walking down the steps) and I couldn't believe I was shaking hands with the commissioner already.

"It's a dream come true — earlier than I thought — to be honest," said Yang, who's played two years as pro for the Eagles, his hometown club in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Long considered China's "next big thing" destined for the NBA, Yang had prepared thoroughly for almost every scenario with the draft, supported by his CBA club, family, his Chinese agent and promoted by Los Angeles-based agency Klutch Sports Group, yet still didn't quite anticipate securing an NBA franchise spot so early.

But for some, it wasn't a surprise at all, as it turns out.

"We've been scouting him deeply for almost two years now ... He was the target," Portland's general manager Joe Cronin said after the draft when asked about the trade with Memphis to get the opportunity to pick Yang.

"For us it was so important to get him. So, we decided to do what some would say 'reach'. We decided to take that swing and over-draft, technically, a player that we really valued."

Now, it all makes perfect sense that it was Portland that was the first franchise to invite Yang to an individual workout on May 28, right after the Draft Combine in Chicago. And, apparently it was the first among all NBA clubs to send scouts to study Yang's form in the CBA — as early as late 2023.

Not everyone in Portland was happy about what some fans described a "gamble", but Cronin insisted that Yang's huge potential, which fits in today's all-around game, will pay dividends in the long run.

"He's a very capable player, a very talented young man that has a bright future. I would just ask (people to) give him time, let him settle in and watch him grow. I think everyone will be positively surprised," he said.

"His skillset is very advanced for his age, and he's mature physically ...he can withstand the strength of the NBA guys.

"His ceiling is very high. It's extremely difficult to find a young player of that stature with that skillset. It might take him some time, but, as he figures out the speed and pace in our game, I wouldn't put a ceiling on him. He's that talented."

Joining Yang at the draft were his parents, Yang Lin and Zhu Jing, his Chinese agent Ma Jie, and translator and assistant Liu Yucheng, who all attributed Yang's successful draft campaign to his talent, work ethic, discipline and charming character.

"We hope he can play hard here and win honor for our country," Yang's mother Zhu summed-up her hopes for her son.

"He's earned it, and he deserves it," said Yang's agent Ma. "It's not just his own honor, it's also a celebrated moment for Chinese basketball, particularly during a tough period."

Since the retirement of the golden generation led by Yao, an eight-time NBA All-Star, no Chinese player has made a consistent impact in the NBA, with international results of the Chinese national team also suffering a sharp decline, failing to qualify for the last two Olympic Games.

The emergence of Yang's peers, including another young hopeful Cui Yongxi, who was signed by the Brooklyn Nets last year, but was later released due to a knee injury, has rekindled new hopes that the Chinese men's program can stand tall again, with key players honing their talent overseas.

In his first year in the CBA, Yang was named the 2023-24 season's Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, while also making the league's All-Star team and being named to the Domestic First Team. Yang was again named an All-Star and received First Team honors in the 2024-25 CBA season, where he averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, three assists and 2.6 blocks per game in 45 starts, leading the 8th-seeded Eagles into the playoff quarterfinals.

Dubbed "Baby Jokic" by his Chinese fans, Yang put his intriguing blend of size, skills and basketball IQ on display under the watchful eyes of club staff, and turned heads during his US training trip for the resemblance of his game to the versatile "point-center" role of Denver Nuggets' three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Trail Blazers, though, will provide time and patience for their own play-making big man to grow.

"Nobody is Jokic, they're big shoes to fill," said Cronin.

"There will be adjustments for him to make, just like all the other guys drafted tonight, but it will be our job to prepare him and get him there as quickly, and as well, as possible. We're excited to have this opportunity to grow him into a good player."