One NBA player apparently wants Nikola Jokic as his Valentine this year.
Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen spoke with reporters during NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Hansen participated in Friday night’s Rising Stars Challenge, suiting up for Austin Rivers’ Team Austin against Carmelo Anthony’s Team Melo.
Before the game, Hansen was asked about potentially meeting the Denver Nuggets star Jokic at All-Star festivities this year. Hansen has mentioned in interviews before that Jokic was his basketball idol growing up.
“I can’t wait to kiss him,” Hansen said of Jokic, through his translator. Take a look at the video, during which Hansen made absolutely sure that his translator got out his message about wanting to kiss Jokic.
Hansen Yang on potentially meeting his childhood idol, Nikola Jokic, during All-Star weekend:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 14, 2026
“I can't wait to kiss him.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)pic.twitter.com/lgVozQNMOi
Hansen, 20, was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, who promptly traded his rights to Portland as part of the Cedric Coward deal. The seven-footer has not gotten much run for the Trail Blazers as a rookie but is averaging 18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this season in the NBA G League for the Rip City Remix.
Meanwhile, the three-time NBA MVP Jokic debuted in the NBA in 2015, meaning that Hansen got to watch Jokic from roughly the age of 10 onwards. Hansen already went viral for a hilarious quote during the draft last summer and is now going viral again for another quote about wanting to kiss Jokic.
