Yang demonstrates potential of NBA deal with Chinese basketball

Chinese NBA rookie Yang Hansen's explosive second preseason game has lived up to the high expectations of fans, providing fuel for the US basketball body's promise to push ahead with talent development in China.

After a tough debut in his team's 123-129 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Yang, the Portland Trail Blazers' 16th draft pick of the summer, has silenced his doubters sooner than expected by producing a breakout game in Portland's 124-123 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

During just 17 minutes on court, Yang notched up 16 points, four rebounds, one assist and three blocks on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line to help Portland secure their narrow 1-point win.

Yang's strong bounce-back following a foul-troubled first game has left his fans stoked while drawing attention from across the Pacific.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who is currently in China overseeing the league's preseason games in the Macao Special Administrative Region, said he's been watching Yang and hopes his budding NBA career would inspire some of his compatriots to follow suit.

"I had an opportunity to see Yang Hansen play at the Las Vegas Summer League. And he looks like a terrific prospect for the NBA," Silver told China Daily after signing an agreement for a new collaboration with Chinese Basketball Association president Guo Zhenming in Macao on Friday.

With player development a core part of the CBA-NBA partnership, Silver said efforts will be made, not just to uncover more talent like Yang, but also to elevate the Chinese national team and promote basketball throughout the country.

"I think much of the discussions with the CBA and Mr Guo will be based on what it is we need to do to develop top-tier players who can both achieve success for the [Chinese] national teams and potentially play in the NBA or WNBA," he said.

"There is an understanding from Mr Guo that we do need to think about more systematic ways that young Chinese players will have an opportunity to play against top competition. We agreed with the CBA that there is no higher priority than working together to develop these young players.

"If these players were coming into the NBA, playing top-notch competition, no doubt it will inspire other young players to achieve it as well."

The NBA is back in China for a preseason tour for the first time since 2019. At a sold-out Venetian Arena, cheered on by an enthusiastic Macao crowd, the Phoenix Suns beat the Brooklyn Nets 132-127 in the first of a pair of games, with the two teams to square off against each other at the same venue again on Sunday.

Another young Chinese player, Zeng Fanbo, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nets to join the team's preseason camps and trip, completed his first NBA game on home soil in Brooklyn's loss to the Suns, finishing with only one steal to go with three fouls in 10 minutes on court.

The 22-year-old forward, who has just recovered from a lower back injury after playing with CBA's Beijing Ducks in the 2024-25 season, said he was blessed to be able to suit up in an NBA game at home.

"Performance-wise, it's perhaps not so impressive, but I take it as a great learning curve," said Zeng, a former NBA G-League Ignite player.

"I feel so fortunate to play in an NBA game in front of home fans having just come back from a serious injury. I made my best effort to recover in time and earned my opportunity to play.

"I enjoyed the whole experience, even if I just had one second on the court."