The Portland Trail Blazers created quite a splash when they defied expectations, selecting Chinese center Yang Hansen 16th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 7-footer was relatively unknown in wider NBA circles, projected as a second-round selection at best. But from the moment his name got called in the draft, through a pass-heavy, energetic Summer League, Hansen has continued to delight and intrigue.

The latest example of Hansen’s “gift that keeps on giving” approach to his professional journey was an extensive letter published in The Players’ Tribune today. The piece is titled “To My New Friends.” In it, the international ingenue describes the pathway and habits that led him to this point and the new things he’s discovering about Portland now that he’s arrived.

Among the most-repeated

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