“Admin knew what they were doing”: NBA fans react as “Chinese Jokic” gets an indirect comp from Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen has earned the nickname “Chinese Jokic” for his playing style, similar to Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. While the nickname originally came from fans, the Blazers have now embraced the comparison through a not-so-subtle social media post.

Ahead of Saturday’s summer league matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Blazers' social media accounts shared a photo of Hansen walking past a 2025 summer league poster. Fans quickly noticed that the big man was positioned beside an image of Jokic.

Social media users instantly applauded the clever post.

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Hansen recorded 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and a block against the Grizzlies. However, he was unable to prevent his team from suffering their first loss of the summer league. Backed by Jaylen Wells’ 23-point outburst, the Grizzlies emerged victorious 96-86.

Hansen put up a similar stat line on Friday, scoring 10 points on 42.8% shooting alongside four rebounds, five assists and three blocks. His stat sheet stuffing performance was a huge boost for Portland to clinch a 106-73 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors.

Blazers rookie Yang Hansen shares how he'd react to meeting Nikola Jokic

Throughout the draft process, Yang Hansen spoke about his admiration for Nikola Jokic. So it's no surprise that the rookie is expected to be starstruck the first time he meets his idol.

Rather than asking for basketball-related advice, Hansen says he’ll be focused on collecting memorabilia.

“Picture? Signature, please?” Hansen’s translator shared with reporters on Friday.

With both Portland and Denver playing in the NBA’s Northwest Division, Hansen will have four opportunities to interact with Jokic during the regular season.

In addition to Jokic, Hansen looks up to LeBron James, Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis. So, fans can expect the youngster to witness a few more memorable encounters throughout his rookie season.

However, Hansen will divert his attention to the ongoing summer league for now. The Blazers get a three-day rest before their clash against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

Unless they advance to the knockout stage of the event, the matchup against the Houston Rockets on Thursday will be their final game of the tournament.

Edited by Ribin Peter