The Associated Press reported that Hansen Young's 20th birthday coincided with the draft and he hoped to learn from Yao Ming

On May 16, Beijing time, the outstanding performance of two consecutive confrontation matches made Yang Hansen the focus of attention of the American media, and some draft websites even predicted that Yang Hansen would be selected at the end of the first round. Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press also wrote about Hansen Young, talking about him chasing his NBA dream. The full text is as follows-

Yang Hansen answered questions in Chinese for about 20 minutes, and when he left the room, he suddenly wanted to show off his English.

"Bye-bye," he said, raising his arms in the air, "Bye-bye." ”

His English may still need to be improved, but in basketball, he's trying to prove that he's professional enough.

A 2.16m-tall centre-forward from China who weighs 115kg, Yang Hansen is one of many international players in this week's combined tryout for the Chicago Draft. Here, he meets with teams, undergoes physical tests, practices and participates in 5-on-5 matches under the watchful eye of NBA team executives.

June 26 (local time) is his 20th birthday, which happens to be the day the second round of this year's NBA Draft is revealed. It could be a memorable birthday for the big Chinese man.

"He's really happy here," Chris Liu, a translator for Mr. Yang, said after relaying the issue to The Associated Press, "and he's eager to compete with everyone and enjoy the process." ”

Yang knows that he will inevitably be compared to Yao Ming, and almost every center in China will be asked about Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming, who is still the best Chinese player in NBA history.

But Yang Hansen is not Yao Ming. It's not realistic to be the "next Yao Ming", and his goal is to be the best version of himself. He's got talent: soft to the basket and good passing, but like all 19-year-olds who hit the NBA, he has something to polish.

"Yao Ming is my senior," Yang Hansen said in Chinese, "I have always respected him and wanted to learn from him." ”

In addition to the language barrier, there are other challenges that Yang has to overcome. During tryouts, Chris, the interpreter, would sit next to him on the bench and during timeouts, relaying instructions from coaches and others. But when he stepped onto the court, he didn't need much additional explanation.

Last season, Yang averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in the CBA, and was named to the CBA All-NBA Team of the Year. This isn't his first exposure to the NBA — last year he played with the Chinese national team in the California Classic Summer League, a warm-up event for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

He has been training in Los Angeles in recent weeks, with University of Michigan center Golding. In the first trial match, the two also faced each other directly.

"We're kind of familiar now," Golding said, "and it's a great feeling." ”

Only a handful of Chinese players have ever landed in the NBA. The only one this season is Choi Yong-hee, the 1.98-meter shooting guard who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Development League after playing five games for the Brooklyn Nets.

Yang may face a high challenge, but he is not worried. "I'll give it my all." He said.