In the 2025 NBA Draft, Chinese basketball player Yang Hansen was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers* with the 16th pick on June 25 local time.
The pick used to be the Memphis Grizzlies' but was traded to Portland in advance of the Draft.
"I was shocked, and, like I said, extremely excited," Yang said in a post-pick interview with a Memphis cap on his head.
Since early May, Yang has been undergoing intensive NBA evaluations in the United States. The 19-year-old center first participated in the 2025 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago from May 11-18, where he delivered impressive performances that caught scouts' attention. This earned him subsequent private workouts with multiple NBA franchises, allowing for deeper mutual assessment.
Yang's selection marks a historic moment - he becomes the first Chinese player drafted into the NBA since 2016, ending a near-decade-long wait. His journey follows the path of Chinese basketball pioneers:
1987: Song Tao (67th pick by Hawks) became China's NBA draft pioneer
1999-2007: Wang Zhizhi, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian established successful NBA careers
2016: Zhou Qi (Rockets) and Wang Zhelin (Grizzlies) were last Chinese draftees
The Qingdao center's combination of 7'1" size and demonstrated skillset during his U.S. tour ultimately convinced Portland to select him, reinstating China's presence on the NBA draft stage after a nine-year hiatus.
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