Latest news with #SummerLeague
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"He might be the most popular guy in Las Vegas" - Yang Hansen has been 2025 Summer League's biggest sensation
"He might be the most popular guy in Las Vegas" - Yang Hansen has been 2025 Summer League's biggest sensation originally appeared on Basketball Network. Yang Hansen may have been the biggest surprise of the 2025 NBA Draft. He was projected to go outside the first round, but the Portland Trail Blazers took a bold swing by selecting him 16th overall. But so far, the risk has paid off. Hansen has become the breakout star of the Summer League, attracting a Chinese documentary crew to Las Vegas and drawing massive social media audiences. "[Yang] might be the most popular guy in Las Vegas," Blazers Summer League coach Ronnie Burrell said, per Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. "I got to play basketball internationally, and I understand what's it like to play as a foreigner. To watch the grace and the joy he handles it with is impressive. I wasn't able to do that, and I was older than him when I was traveling abroad. I'm amazed by him." Massive Chinese following At 7'1", it's hard to miss the 20-year-old center. However, it isn't just Hansen's height that has made him popular. The fact that he is the first Chinese player selected in the first round of the NBA draft since Yi Jianlian in 2007 is enough for the world's most populous country to rally behind him. Hansen has been nothing short of a phenomenon. According to Golliver, Tencent, the Chinese media company, has a film crew following him around. It was supposedly for a 10-part documentary series, not to mention dozens of journalists from the East Asian nation covering his games. Moreover, fans from China travelled to Sin City in droves, many of them wearing his No. 16 Blazers jersey. Even more astonishing is that more than 5.2 million Chinese viewers watched Tencent's free broadcast of the Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies game. That's nearly five times the number of Americans who viewed Cooper Flagg's Summer League debut with the Dallas Mavericks (1.1 million). Additionally, according to Golliver, one of Hansen's Summer League games drew more than 3.4 million paid viewers, 16 times Tencent's average. "Since the draft, Portland's retail sales have increased 1,091 percent compared with 2024, and its TikTok account has collected more than 30 million views, according to a team official," wrote Golliver. "In less than a month, the Blazers have added nearly 900,000 followers on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and Douyin, outpacing all other NBA teams in engagement during that time period."More than a novelty Analysts and fans alike questioned the Blazers' decision to draft Hansen. Some believed the moves had more to do with marketing than basketball. Even if that were true, it's not the worst way to attract more fans. However, aside from having a massive following behind him, Hansen is very skilled as a player. He has a penchant for squeezing the ball into tight places only his teammates could reach, and a fun, nonchalant personality. In four Summer League games, Hansen averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game before being shut down. He recorded a total of 15 assists over that span. Of course, Hansen is still raw in some aspects. He is slow on his feet has to develop an outside shot to get meaningful rotation minutes. At this point, he should be behind Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III in Portland's depth chart, but given the latter's injury history and Clingan's offensive limitations, he might get a shot sooner than most people think. If Hansen's Summer League performance is any indication, the Blazers might have done more than stumble into a marketing win. He could be a contributor who brings something different to the table at the center position. And if he holds his own once the real games begin, Portland won't just have China's attention. They'll have everyone' story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Dominion Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Best Virginia advances, James Reese quickly making a WVU connection in TBT run
CHARLESTON – The connection between James Reese and the WVU men's basketball program has generally been a story of respect from a distance. That's changed over his last three days inside the Charleston Coliseum, where he dropped 21, 20 and 24 points over three games that led Best Virginia to the West Virginia Regional championship and a trip to the TBT national quarterfinals following a 79-68 victory against top-seeded Elite Nation on Tuesday. TBT is a $1 million winner-take-all tournament. 'Back in my college days, WVU was always one of those teams I loved to watch,' said Reese, who nailed the game-ending 14-foot shot against Elite Nation that gave him 24 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds. 'They were always that tough and gritty team that played hard defense and never backed down. That's sort of my basketball DNA, too.' Best Virginia, the WVU alumni team competing in its sixth TBT all-time, is in the final eight for the first time since 2022. Best Virginia will remain in the state, as Charleston will host the quarterfinal round. Best Virginia will play Shell Shock – an alumni team from the University of Maryland – at 6 p.m. Monday for the right to advance to the semifinals. Shell Shock won the James Madison Regional with a 68-62 victory against NXT ERA Elite on Tuesday. Some of Reese's college days were spent at North Texas, where he played for then-assistant coach Ross Hodge, now the WVU head coach. That's Reese's distant connection to the Mountaineers. He was also a former roommate at South Carolina with former WVU player Erik Stevenson. 'Actually, when Erik was called up to the Miami Heat for (NBA) Summer League, it opened up the spot here,' Reese said. 'He was the one who called me and told me about the opening. That was how I got connected.' For added measure, there was also a sort of mutual respect between Best Virginia head coach Jarrod West and Reese. When West's son – also named Jarrod – played at Marshall, the two would bang against each other often in Conference USA matchups. 'Him and Lil Jarrod went at each other a few times,' coach West said. 'I knew his game from afar. Getting to know him more now, James is about doing the right things. He does the things that I've tried to instill into my own kids. 'Having him join our team was a no-brainer. He's a winner, it's in his DNA.' That became clear when it appeared Best Virginia was headed for defeat midway through the third quarter. Trailing 54-42, Reese nearly went on a one-man scoring spree. There was a driving lay-up, a free throw and then a wide-open 3-pointer. After former WVU standout Kedrian Johnson nailed two free throws, Best Virginia had cut the lead to 59-58. 'I never would have dreamed of having three games like this,' Reese said. 'Being with these guys at Best Virginia, they get all the credit. We've got a great coaching staff and great teammates. It all just kind of came together for me, but this has been a real blessing.' That fourth quarter belonged to Best Virginia, to Reese and to teammate J.D. Weatherspoon, who came up with five big points and some even bigger rebounds in the fourth quarter for Best Virginia. Reese added a 3-pointer that gave Best Virginia a 64-62 lead with 8:01 remaining. By the time the Elan Ending was set, Best Virginia's lead had grown to 70-63. That set the target score at 78. During the Elam Ending, Reese hit two free throws for a 74-63 lead. Moments later, he hauled in a pass from Toby Okani and drove in from the right side. His game-ender came a step inside the foul line. 'I thought we executed well in the Elam Ending,' West said. 'I think we took only one bad shot. I don't think they took any good shots.' Reese's final connection with the WVU program, well, that came with the firing of the Mountaineers' musket. 'The only reason it didn't scare me was because I was paying attention,' Reese said. 'Man, that thing goes off loud, though. That is something else.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sources: Lakers head to Las Vegas with intent to spark trade negotiations
The post Sources: Lakers head to Las Vegas with intent to spark trade negotiations appeared first on ClutchPoints. After a flourish of activity early in free agency, landing Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, the Los Angeles Lakers have stalled out a bit with work still clearly needing to be done. According to sources with an understanding of their offseason plans speaking on the condition of anonymity, the team is hoping to reignite trade talks as the entire league embarks upon Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League. Previous trade targets include Andrew Wiggins and Robert Williams, among others, and a couple new names have garnered some attention given how the rest of the offseason has played out to this point. Sources say Matisse Thybulle, Marcus Smart (though most teams are watching to see if he's going to be bought out), Ayo Dosunmu and others are names the Lakers have had preliminary conversations with teams about availability and price, though no offers have been made. 'Rob (Pelinka) likes Vegas because he can just pull so-and-so aside and have a conversation that would otherwise take a little planning,' an Eastern Conference executive said. 'Summer league has become a real opportunity for all of us in that way.' As far as goals go, the Lakers are looking to open at least one and ideally a couple roster spots, plus gain full access to their bi-annual exception with a little room under the first apron, which they will be hard-capped at heading into the season. Ideally, sources say they would accomplish all that and land a more natural starting small forward (Rui Hachimura has played out of position the last couple years) while bolstering a bench that was among the least productive in the NBA a year ago. Lakers reserves were so bad that JJ Redick infamously made no substitutions in game four of their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He got so desperate that he inserted Maxi Kleber into their final game of the year even though he'd never even practiced for the Lakers. As currently constructed, the Lakers rotation runs about nine players deep, in terms of guys Redick would enter the season trusting to varying degrees: Starters Luka Doncic Austin Reaves Rui Hachimura LeBron James Deandre Ayton Bench Jake LaRavia Gabe Vincent Jarred Vanderbilt Jaxson Hayes Deep Reserves Jordan Goodwin Dalton Knecht Maxi Kleber Trey Jemison (two-way) Shake Milton likely to be traded or waived Shake Milton is almost certainly either going to be traded or waived before his July 20 guarantee date, according to sources close to the team. Let's say Milton is waived; that would leave the Lakers with one open roster spot and just under $4 million separating them from the first apron. They wouldn't be able to use their full bi-annual exception and, if they use whatever chunk of it they can, they'd be right up against the hard cap. Goodwin's contract isn't fully guaranteed until January 10, so he could technically be waived to open another roster spot and gain access to that full bi-annual exception. If he's waived, too, the Lakers could use that $5.1 million on a free agent and enter the season with an open roster spot and about $1.1 million separating them from the first apron hard cap. The Lakers did like Goodwin quite a bit last season and, given his low cap number, there's a good chance he'd be claimed off of waivers, so if the Lakers did go this route, it would be after turning over every other stone. Pelinka has typically preferred to enter campaigns with an open roster spot and a first-round pick in his back pocket. He also would probably prefer a little more space between him and the first apron given how much more difficult it can be to open cap space during the season. There's also the reported plan to maintain cap and draft flexibility for the next couple seasons as the Lakers are monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic's situations. It should also be mentioned the Lakers are keeping a very close eye on the buyout market. Bradley Beal is obviously the player the rest of the league is monitoring, but given how teams are operating in this new CBA, basically any veteran on an expiring contract is considered a candidate to be bought out. As a result, even while De'Anthony Melton has long been linked to the Lakers, sources say they're looking to maintain flexibility in case the right name becomes available, as Ayton did a week or so ago. The NBA will descend upon Las Vegas in a matter of days. Having the whole league in one place at the same time is a great way to stir up another wave of action. Pelinka and the Lakers hope to ride that wave to a deeper, more balanced roster that will hopefully convince Doncic to sign his extension in August and James to stop taking pictures with Cleveland Cavaliers. Related: Cooper Flagg vs. Bronny James set to make NBA Summer League history Related: Lakers rumors: Insider thinks LeBron James is 'venting' instead of eyeing trade
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers' Bronny James catches more attention after lighting it up vs. Celtics
The post Lakers' Bronny James catches more attention after lighting it up vs. Celtics appeared first on ClutchPoints. Bronny James impressed in Thursday's Summer League matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. In 28 minutes of action, James caused trouble for the Celtics' defense. He put up 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, and a steal. He shot 7-of-13 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. It didn't take long for Lakers fans to react to his performance, liking his growth in multiple areas. Here are some of their reactions. 'They tried to write him off, he's literally the seed of the greatest to ever touch a basketball,' one fan said. 'All the best for them winning 🤝🤝🤝 hes doing well for the team,' one remarked. 'Good to see him get comfortable. Time to carve a role this upcoming season,' another commented. 'Hopes this translates to the regular season the lakers could use the depth. Baby steps,' a fan stated. 'He's just going to keep getting better too. You know the haters are down bad when they gotta reach to complain about him having some turnovers in a summer league game,' one said. How Bronny James, Lakers played against Celtics Bronny James continues to take steps in his overall skillset, but it wasn't enough as the Lakers lost 87-78 to the Celtics. The Lakers led 26-21 after the first quarter but only scored nine points in the following period. This gave the Celtics the momentum they needed to outscore their rivals 47-43 in the second half to secure the win. Four players scored in double-digits on LA's behalf, including James. DJ Steward finished with 14 points, five assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He shot 6-of-11 overall, including 2-of-5 from downtown. Christian Koloko came next with 12 points and six rebounds, Cole Swider had 12 points and four rebounds, while Dalton Knecht provided eight points. The Lakers will prepare for their next matchup in Las Vegas. Having finished with a 1-3 record after four games, they will have one last consolation game for their next opponent from July 18 to 20. Related: Lakers trade proposal lands Marcus Smart in Wizards deal Related: Sources: LeBron James retirement buzz gets louder at NBA Summer League
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Magic rookie Jase Richardson pulled up to Michigan State practice after summer league
Fresh off a productive run in the NBA Summer League with the Orlando Magic, rookie Jase Richardson pulled up to East Lansing to sit in on a practice at Michigan State. Richardson was named to the All-Big Ten third team last season with the Spartans, averaging 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 41.2% shooting from 3-point range as a freshman. He ranked ninth in the country in box plus-minus (plus-11.6) and 14th in offensive rating (132). The 25th overall pick was spotted this week at the practice facility chatting with former head coach Tom Izzo on the court. He also posted a photo on Instagram of the Spartans' court. Richardson averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and one block on 55.6% shooting from the field with the Magic in summer league. He, along with second-year forward Tristan da Silva, was shut down after two appearances. The 19-year-old was highly-touted entering the 2025 NBA draft as a guard who takes care of the ball, shoots well and can defend. He displayed those qualities in a limited sample size, while also playing through contact and running the offense well. Richardson checks a lot of boxes for the Magic and was a player they were even looking at with the 16th pick before trading it away. He faces an uphill battle vying for rotational minutes, but he appeared to pass the test in his first action on the court in the desert. This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Magic: Jase Richardson stopped by Michigan State after summer league
