Blazers’ Yang Hansen Gets Advice From Surprise All-Star in NBA Transition

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Yang Hansen walks to the stage after being selected as the 16th pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Portland Trail Blazers rookie big man Yang Hansen, who enjoyed a surprisingly productive Summer League run, has gotten some NBA advice from a surprise All-Star.

Across seven combined Summer League games between the California Classic and the Las Vegas NBA 2K26 Summer League, Hansen averaged 9.9 points on .451/.286/.826 shooting splits, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks.

Portland traded down to acquire Hansen with the No. 16 pick in this year's draft.

The CBA product, a two-time All-Star with the Qingdao Eagles, recently hopped on a call with six-time All-Star L.A. Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard, via Swish Cultures. Leonard, 34, offered some sage words of wisdom for the 20-year-old center.

Yang Hansen & Kawhi Leonard giving each other gems 🔥😂 Yang on trash talk in mandarin & Kawhi gives advice on adjusting to the speed of the NBA @theasiantournament pic.twitter.com/RyELddzQPV

— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) July 27, 2025

Hansen reveals he was blown away by the speed of the NBA competition in Summer League.

"The pace is kind of fast," Hansen said through a translator. "[They're] really fast like rabbits."

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"Once you get a few more games under your belt, it'll slow down," Leonard said.

The 7-foot-1 center added that he's being mobbed by fans with more frequency now — even if he's not yet a marquee name.

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Leonard's rise to superstardom was something of a slow build on the San Antonio Spurs. He's won two Finals MVP awards during his two championship runs with San Antonio and the Toronto Raptors, but injury issues since the end of his Spurs days have hurt his upside in L.A.

But Leonard knows a thing or two about celebrity, an element Hansen is very much still adjusting to.

"Everyone's just coming out, 'Oh, photo, photo, photo!' [They] don't even know who I am, say, 'You are so tall!'"

"Yeah, I understand," Leonard said. "I felt the same way."

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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.