Yang Hansen Adjusting to New Team, Language at First Summer League Practice

📍TUALATIN, Ore. — The first thing Yang Hansen noticed about NBA Summer League practices, as opposed to the ones he had with the Qingdao Eagles, is that they're more "civilized."

Still physical, yes, but not as cutthroat.

"They play hard, but they're civilized," he said Saturday through his translator after the Trail Blazers' first practice ahead of their trip to Las Vegas next week.

Yang was laughing as he said it. He barely speaks any English yet, but his sense of humor is already translating.

That wasn't the only joke he had in the 10-minute media session he held with his interpreter, Chris Liu, and a group of local reporters both American and Chinese.