Kawhi Leonard, the NBA’s famously quiet killer, has taken a rookie under his wing. But not just any rookie. We’re talking about Yang Hansen, the 7-foot-1 Chinese big man who somehow managed to go from “Who?” to “Wait, that kid’s kinda nice” after just four Summer League games. There’s a lot to unpack, from wild draft decisions and Summer League highlights to trash talk lessons in Mandarin. And Kawhi? Oh, he’s all in for it.
Let’s dive into this beautiful basketball bromance that no one saw coming. So here’s how it all began—Portland shocked everyone during the 2025 NBA Draft by selecting Yang Hansen with the 16th overall pick. Scouts had him pegged as a second-rounder, maybe a late steal. Portland said, “Nah, we’re going early.” The memes were flying, the execs were confused, and ESPN’s poll of 20 front office minds had him nowhere near the top in any meaningful category.
Except for one: Biggest Draft Reach. Yang came in second there with four votes. Yeah… not ideal. But then came Vegas. In four Summer League games, the 20-year-old from Shandong averaged 10.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.3 blocks. Not mind-blowing, but he played with poise, dropped a few dimes that made Jokic fans raise eyebrows, and swatted shots like he was getting paid by the block. Suddenly, Blazers fans began whispering: “Wait, did we just luck into a Chinese Nikola Jokic?”
Cue Kawhi Leonard’s entrance. After Yang said the NBA pace felt like “rabbits… extremely fast,” Kawhi Leonard reached out via video call to offer encouragement. “Once you get a few more games under your belt, it will slow down,” Kawhi told him, in that same calm, unbothered tone he probably uses to order lunch. But the conversation didn’t stop there. Kawhi is visiting China this offseason (because of course he is—plot twist of the year), and figured Yang might be able to give him a few crash-course lessons in Mandarin trash talk.
Kawhi Leonard and Yang Hansen is the duo we never knew we needed
Kawhi says he wants to link up and get in the gym with the Blazers rookie when he comes to China this offseason
(via @swishcultures_)pic.twitter.com/v6hd9d3SZ7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 27, 2025
“I need some in-person coaching for that,” Leonard said, laughing. Imagine Kawhi Leonard, stone-faced, dropping a perfectly timed Mandarin insult on someone in a preseason game. That alone is worth tuning in for. And the bromance didn’t end with some “good luck, kid” nod either. Kawhi made it clear—he wants to hoop with Yang. “If you’ve got some free time, let’s get in the gym and have some shooting contest. When I head out there, I will hit you up,” he said.
That’s right. Kawhi Leonard wants to have a shooting contest with Yang Hansen. Now that’s a crossover episode we didn’t know we needed. Forget Batman and Superman. This is Jokic 2.0 and Mr. Load Management joining forces.
The Summer League Stock Market and the Yang Gamble
Despite the Kawhi co-sign, NBA executives still aren’t sold. In a recent ESPN poll, Yang didn’t receive a single Rookie of the Year vote. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Cooper Flagg ran away with 17 votes, while Dylan Harper and Tre Johnson got the scraps. Yang’s name did show up once in the “Best Pick Besides Flagg” section, but again, that’s like saying you got a single like on a tweet you thought would go viral.
Even the “Biggest Draft Steal” award—where 14 players got at least one vote—left him out. Ouch.
But hey, sometimes the best investments are the ones no one believes in. And Yang’s already flashing a passing game that’s smoother than some veteran guards. His shooting? Let’s just say it’s a work in progress, but maybe Kawhi’s shooting contest can help there. Because right now, his jumper falls harder than the market after bad Fed news.
Apr 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
What makes this whole Kawhi Leonard–Yang Hansen thing feel so special is that it’s not PR fluff. There’s something genuine about it. Kawhi doesn’t usually go out of his way to mentor guys publicly—he barely speaks publicly. But here he is, offering tips, laughing on camera, and planning a gym meet-up halfway across the globe.
And for Yang, it’s everything. This is a kid who turned down playing in the FIBA Asia Cup just to focus on his Trail Blazers rookie season. He’s locked in. He knows he’s got a lot to prove, especially after being the subject of online skepticism and anonymous exec roasts.
Kawhi’s words? They’re the kind of validation money can’t buy.
This is one of those feel-good stories the NBA doesn’t often give us—an unlikely alliance, a rookie fighting the odds, and a veteran star offering real mentorship. Yang Hansen might not have won over the execs just yet, but if Kawhi Leonard believes in him, maybe the rest of the league should start paying attention too.
Because in an NBA world full of drama and headlines, sometimes all it takes is a quiet superstar and an overlooked rookie to steal the show.
The post Kawhi Leonard Offers Yang Hansen Training After No Confidence From NBA Execs appeared first on EssentiallySports.
