2025 NBA Draft

China's Yang Hansen takes part in Draft Combine, eyes spot in NBA

The 7-foot-1 center has scoring skills and court vision and is hoping he'll hear his name called in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Yang averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2024-25.

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CHICAGO — Yang Hansen had just taken questions for about 20 minutes in his native Mandarin, then decided to show off a little of his English as he walked out of the room.

“Bye bye,” he said, stretching his arm skyward as he waved farewell. “Bye bye.”

When it comes to English, he might still have much to learn. When it comes to basketball, he’s trying to show that he knows plenty already.

Yang — a 7-foot-1, 253-pound center from China — is one of a slew of international players at the draft combine in Chicago this week, meeting with teams, getting measured and being put through drills. He also is taking part in the 5-on-5 scrimmaging, under the watchful eye of executives from every NBA team.

He turns 20 on June 26, the day that the Round 2 picks in this year’s NBA draft will get selected. That might turn out to be a fairly memorable birthday for the Chinese big man.

“He really feels happiness here,” Chris Liu, Yang’s interpreter, said after relaying Yang questions from The Associated Press. “And then, he’s really willing to compete with everyone and against everyone. He really enjoyed that.”

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