Photo: Peter Baba

Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen is embracing comparisons to Nikola Jokic rather than feeling burdened by them.

The 21-year-old has been labeled the “Chinese Jokic” because of his passing skills and ability to create offense as a big man.

Yang views the comparison as motivation, particularly because the Denver Nuggets superstar has long been one of his favorite players.

“First of all, Jokic is my idol,” Yang said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I really love the way he plays. I think that’s also something the fans hope to see from me. So, I’ll just keep working hard.”

Despite the nickname, Yang is focused on developing his own game following his rookie season with Portland.

He averaged 16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists across five G League appearances while also continuing to contribute for the Chinese national team.