Blazers Rookie Yang Hansen Already Earning Comps to Hall of Fame Superstar

His only NBA experience may extend to Summer League at this point, but rookie Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen has already been earning comparisons to a former Hall of Fame superstar big man.

In one way, at least.

Ben Golliver of The Washington Post suggests that Hansen's personality already reminds him of the congenial, welcoming attitude exhibited by former 15-time All-Star Shaquille O'Neal.

Feature: Yang Hansen, a towering jester with a “fat boy” past, is the NBA’s star of the summer.
The @trailblazers rookie, who drew 5.4 million Chinese viewers for a summer league game, on life, pressure, Yao Ming & the glory of sleep @washingtonpost https://t.co/FdBrIgXB3S
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 20, 2025

“While star big men such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Victor Wembanyama often appeared serious and guarded in public, Yang’s lighthearted personality recalls a fellow towering jester: Shaquille O’Neal,” Golliver writes.

For his part, Yang is leaning into that element of his temperament.

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“Attention doesn’t bother me,” Yang said. “That’s part of the job. That’s the perfect time to show my humor. Sometimes you’ll see my face goes down. That doesn’t mean I’m frustrated. That means I want to go to sleep. I’ll save my words sometimes because I want to go to bed.”

Elsewhere in the Golliver story, Hansen revealed the humorous origins of his youthful interest in basketball.

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"I was a little bit of a fat boy" as a kid, Hansen explained. "My father told me: 'Don't become fat.'"

Basketball, one of the fastest-paced, most mobile games out there, became an obvious solution for a young Hansen.

He subsequently blossomed with the Chinese Basketball Association's Qingdao Eagles from 2023-25. In 45 games last year, Hansen averaged 16.6 points on .586/.333/.671 shooting splits, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.0 steals a night.

Portland traded down for the No. 16 pick and the draft rights to the 7-foot-1 Hansen. In Summer League, Hansen revealed why he might already be a serviceable backup for presumed starter Donovan Clingan.

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In seven games between the California Classic and NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, the 20-year-old Hansen averaged 9.9 points on .451/.286/.826 shooting splits, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists (against a troubling 4.1 turnovers) and 1.6 blocks per game.

Golliver notes that a single Hansen Summer League contest notched 5.4 million Chinese viewers, a tally that suggests a successful pro run could be a major boon for NBA ratings.

More news: Blazers’ $134.4 Million All-Star Guard Calls Yang Hansen a ‘Superstar’

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