Yang Hansen’s first words to Nikola Jokic weren’t your typical conversation starter.
“I don’t really want to kiss you,” the rookie center from China recounted in English, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
The Trail Blazers were pummeled by the Denver Nuggets, 157-103, in their worst loss of the season Friday night. But a pregame opportunity for Hansen to meet one of his idols — the casually dominant, irreverent, three-time MVP of the league — provided a bright spot.
Hansen previously said at All-Star weekend while competing for the Rising Stars that he couldn’t wait to kiss Jokic if they met, forcing translator Chris Liu into an awkward spot in front of a gaggle of media gathered in Los Angeles.
But when it came time to officially meet the Joker on Friday night in Portland, Hansen received some serious advice from the 31-year-old Serbian superstar.
“He told me don’t get nervous all the time,” Hansen said, translated by Liu. “He’s like, you’re a great player. Just go play.”
Nerves are part of the game for any NBA rookie, but those around the Trail Blazers say Hansen can be particularly hard on himself during his brief opportunities if things don’t go according to plan. That emotion is visible each time Hansen takes the court.
So it goes for a young big man: ask Donovan Clingan, now a consistent and reliable starter after plenty of growing pains as a rookie.
The 20-year-old Hansen saw more minutes than usual down the stretch of a blowout loss for the Blazers, and his shift didn’t start well: a missed three-pointer and four consecutive missed free throws as the crowd groaned with each clank.
But Hansen did hit a soft, sweeping hook in the lane in the game’s final minutes, cutting the Nuggets lead to 49. He also nailed his final two free throws. That elicited cheers from the most loyal of Blazer fans still lingering in their seats.
“I feel happy about that,” Hansen said. “Like, they cheer for me all the time. But once they cheer for me, that’s kind of pressure to me, too. So, I want to play better.”
Jokic, meanwhile, watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench. He left the game in the third with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Just another night at the office for an all-time great seeking to further etch his name into NBA lore.
Hansen said he first saw highlights of Jokic when he was 13 years old as a lanky kid growing up in China’s Shandong Province. One of his coaches at the time told Hansen that Jokic would be the league’s top star in the future.
That certainly panned out, and Hansen got a front row seat to greatness Friday as Portland’s starters struggled to contain Jokic, who scored 19 points in the first quarter alone.
“Every time they will post some game highlights on YouTube or Chinese social media, it’s different than a live game,” Hansen said. “Like, when you see the game, what he did in the whole game, that’s really, really impressive.”
Did playing in front of Jokic add to the pressure for Hansen, despite their warm conversation beforehand?
“That’s part of the game for anyone,” Hansen admitted. “But he missed two (free throws) in a row today, too. I watch him all the time. I’m with it.”
