Blazers Guard Says Yang Hansen is ‘A Star in the Making’

Oct 10, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA: Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen (16) reacts after not getting a foul against Sacramento Kings in the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images | Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers' top rookie draft pick, 7-foot-1 center Yang Hansen, has been praised by a young colleague as already being a "star in the making."

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Per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, two-way rookie point guard Caleb Love shouted out the 20-year-old former Chinese Basketball Association standout.

For one breathtaking quarter Friday night at the Moda Center, Blazers rookie Yang Hansen showed just how much potential — and potential stardom — he truly has:https://t.co/CHWiMEGiKX

— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) October 11, 2025

As Freeman notes, Hansen enjoyed a particularly flashy third quarter outburst in an eventual 124-123 exhibition win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

He logged 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor (including 2-of-2 shooting from 3-point land) and 2-of-2 free throw shooting, grabbed two boards, blocked one shot and dished out one dime in that quarter alone.

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Hansen was a bit more erratic during the rest of the game, wrapping up with 16 points, four rebounds, three rejections, and the aforementioned single assist.

'That Boy Different'

“That boy different,” Love said of Hansen. “He’s nice. He’s a talent. He’s a joy to be around off the court and ... I’m enjoying being his teammate. He has so much growth in him, and just to see how talented he is, the moves that he was doing out there, he looked more comfortable than he did the first game."

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Through his two preseason games to date, the former Qingdao Eagles big man is averaging 10.0 points on .538/.400/1.000 shooting splits (that 3-point rate arrives on 2.5 triple tries per), 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists a night in 19.2 minutes per.

Love has been making the most of his extended preseason run, too. In just 14.8 minutes per over two games, the 6-foot-4 University of Arizona alum is averaging 9.0 points while slashing a less impressive .400/.222/.500. He's also logging 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 dishes (against 2.5 turnovers).

“He’s kind of been playing like that throughout training camp, but I think he put it on full display tonight,” Love said. “And he’s just getting better and better. He has so many things in his bag that he can bring out any given moment. I haven’t seen somebody that talented in person, at his age, do the things that he’s doing.”

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