Blazers bench to Chinese hero: How NBA exposure transformed Yang Hansen

Yang Hansen barely plays for the Trail Blazers—but for Team China, he's a 20-10 machine who hits game-winners. In this episode, we dissect the "NBA effect" that transformed his national-team performance and debate his future in Portland. We also zoom out to discuss a growing trend: NBA role players becoming national-team superstars. With the talent gap shrinking and Team USA facing a new era without LeBron, Curry, and Durant, we ask: are the Americans truly safe for the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?