Taking over a friend's snake, very nervous?

Hi guys. I've lurked around on the site for a bit and figured I'd ask for some help. So, in 2 weeks I'm bringing home a new ball python, because my friend got a dalmatian and can no longer take care of the snake. The little guy is just over 2 years old, very quiet, (ha!) and generally healthy.
Now, the reason why I'm a bit nervous about this is, I've had a ball before and he set up what seems to be an extraordinary example. I got him as a tiny baby and he basically lived on my wrist and neck, he loved neck rubs and long basks in the sun in my lap, he ate very well and never even hissed at me. Unfortunately 3 years in, a rat gave him an infection and he passed. Now it's almost 8 years later and I figured I'd give it another go but this snake obviously never got handled as much by his owner. Once a week maybe, tops. Still, I'm willing to take him in. I was wondering if there's anything extra I can do to facilitate the transition. I've heard that throwing an old tshirt into the enclosure to let them learn your scent is a good idea but is there anything else? How often should I handle him? Can I ever get him to the same level of friendliness as my previous one had?
Thanks for reading!

I would leave him be for the first week to let him settle into his new environment before trying to handle him at all, mostly to reduce stress. I find that in general most ball pythons have a default setting of non aggression. I've come across a few ones that would strike at anything that moved, and they can be head shy, but for the most part they don't mind being handled even if they are rarely taken out of their cages. At one point I had 23 ball pythons and I would only handle them when cleaning their tubs, I never once got bit or had them shy away from me. I could reach right in and pick them up without fear. They did not require much interaction to remain tame, they simply were tame.

Good luck with your new addition!!

I agree to just let him settle in without contact first, wait until he successfully feeds for you before you do any serious handling.
And the only way you'll be able to get the type of friendliness back with your snake it just to take him out and spend some time handling him. limit how long you handle him at first to reduce stress, but after a while you should be okay