Chinese NBA Rookie Says He Was A 'Fat Boy,' Shares Hilarious Advice His Dad Gave Him At A Young Age
Being fat and playing in the NBA don't mix.
Yang Hansen was drafted seventh overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. As a Top 10 pick, you could say that the 7-foot-1 big man out of China has officially made it, and based on some recent admissions he made about his journey, his to-the-point father deserves some credit.
The 20-year-old has been playing basketball in his home country since he was a kid, and was named Chinese Basketball Association All-Star each of the last two seasons while taking home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024 as well.
Yang's father, Yang Lin, was a professional basketball player himself, so he knew what it took to play hoops for a living. He passed along some of that wisdom to his son, and one of the key components of the journey was to not get fat.
Yang recently spoke with The Washington Post about how he was on the verge of quitting sports altogether at eight years old because he didn't want to practice outside in the heat, but ultimately picked up the basketball again with a nudge from his old man.
"I wasn’t that good at school, and I was a little bit of a fat boy," he told the paper. "My father told me to try some sports, figure out what you want to do and lose some weight. My father told me: ‘Don’t become fat.’"
It's hilarious that Yang remembers his father's wise words about not getting fat years later and that it still comes to mind when he talks about all the work he's done to get to the NBA.
Not becoming fat and having a good sense of humor never hurt a professional athlete, and it's clear that Yang checks both of those boxes.
Yang is set to become the ninth Chinese NBA player when he suits up for Portland. He's flashed in his Summer League appearances this offseason, and scored 15 points with three made threes in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month.