Alperen Sengun talked about his growing up in Turkey, his comparisons to Nikola Jokic, All-Star candidacy.
One of the most exciting players in the league at this moment, Alperen Sengun, has been having an amazing season averaging 19.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5 assists. His team the Houston Rockets improved majorly this year, sitting second in the tough Western Conference with a 29-14 record.
Alperen Sengun
| Team: |
Houston Rockets |
| Position: | PF, C |
| Age: | 22 |
| Height: | 211 cm |
| Weight: | 110 kg |
| Birth place: | Turkey |
He has a strong case to become an All-Star for the first time in his career. But before he became one of the best young players in the league, he had to go through a long route, starting his career in his homeland of Turkey.
Sengun talked about his beginnings, Jokic comparisons and becoming one of the best players in the league in the interview with Sam Amick of the Athletic.
He had a rough beginning to his basketball career, as he left his home of Giresun at the age of 12 to play for Bandirma. Sengun remembers his first years there being extremely tough.
“We lived in a facility where everything was on it — court, kitchen. Some rooms had 10 kids. Some rooms had four players. There were 50 (players, some of whom were as much as five years older than me). And I didn’t have a phone, so you can’t even see your family on FaceTime, all those things,” Sengun remembered his early days.
“I was just talking to my family from the security (station). They had a phone in the security room. I was calling my family on that, crying next to security — ‘Come get me. I can’t do it.’ I was crying every day to see my family,” Rockets center said.
“I was saying, ‘I don’t want to be here.’ But where I’m from, they literally didn’t have anything in that town, you know? It was a small town, and I wouldn’t be anything in there if I grew up there. And they were just telling me, ‘Alpie, there’s nothing here (for you).’ They were crying too. My mom was crying. She was missing me. But at some point, I understand that I’ve got to do this for my family,” Sengun on his motivation to play basketball.
At the age of 16 Sengun made his professional debut for Banvit in Bandirma.
While Şengün played for Banvit teams from the ages of 16 to 18, starring at the U16, U17 and U18 levels, the program went bankrupt in 2020 (it has since been revived).
He signed with the Turkish club, Beşiktaş, that August, then went on to average 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks in 28.3 minutes over 29 games (he shot 65 percent from the field). He was named the MVP of the Basketball Super League that season.
After an outstanding year in Turkey he was drafted 16th overall to OKC in the 2021 NBA draft and traded to the Houston Rockets.
Now years past, Sengun became one of the best Bigs in the NBA. Many people like to compare him to Nikola Jokic, he commented on this comparison by saying he wants to be himself.
“Yeah, I used to like it. But now I have all my game, you know? Now I have a lot of stuff. I’m using some moves from Jokic. I’m using some moves from Dirk (Nowitzki). All the stuff I’m using, I’m watching people and I’m seeing what I can do. I used to like (the Jokic comparison), but now I have my own stuff. Of course, they still call me Baby Jokic, but that doesn’t bother me,” he commented on Jokic comparison.
Sengun took a leap last year, averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, five assists and 1.2 steals in the first season under Udoka, Sengun emphasized the importance of coach believing in him, saying that it helped him a lot to play the way he plays.
“Opportunity, and Ime believing in me. That was the biggest reason. He’s shown me that multiple times — last year, this year. He always trusted me. And that’s one of the things in life. You want to find someone that has trust in you,” 22-year-old said.
“Last year, there were some games where I was playing bad and Ime was still giving me the game ball. These guys trust in me, so I’ve gotta do something,” Turkish center elaborated on the importance of trust.
Talking about his team’s performance this year he said he was surprised and again praised the coach for such play this season.
“Yeah, I couldn’t have imagined. I think since I came here, I have always felt we have good players. We just didn’t know how to play together,” he said.
“But now we play together. Since Ime and his group have been here, everything has changed. Nothing was comfortable anymore, and that’s the biggest reason. I like that a lot,” Sengun praised the coach.
“When I was playing badly, I was on the bench. That’s where I’m supposed to be. There’s no, ‘Oh, you’re the guy. You’re gonna play the whole game.’ That’s not Ime’s mentality. If you’re not playing (well), someone (will play for you),” Sengun explained.
Sengun said he couldn’t in the spot, where he would be in the All-Star conversations when he was younger. But the ambition to do something drove him to be the best version of himself and make his family proud.
“I was just talking to my family before I came here. I couldn’t imagine being in the NBA and being one of the best in the league — being one of the best players on the team. I wouldn’t imagine that,” he said.
“In Turkey, I was the guy on the team. But I couldn’t imagine coming to the NBA, where we’re playing this game (in video game form), come here and be one of the best players in the league. I couldn’t imagine that. But the ambition (drove me). I want to be the best. And I want to (make) my dad (proud), and my mom,” Sengun stated
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