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Franchise Segun: Rockets GM Rafael Stone on visiting Alperen Şengün in Türkiye: "We had some good conversations at the end of last year. Part of it was Alpi putting pressure on me [to communicate better]." Stone added that Şengün specifically asked to hear from him more often, whether it was "good, bad, or ugly."
Chancellor Johnson: Rafael Stone spent two weeks over the offseason in Turkey hanging out with his All-Star Alperen Sengun. Asked him about it and he revealed an interesting conversation he had with Alpi that helped spark the trip 🇹🇷 “It was a great experience, beautiful country, really nice people.”
Mario Hezonja delivered a spectacular performance as Croatia faced Turkey at a friendly tournament in Hamburg ahead of the upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifying window. Hezonja scored 37 points and hit the decisive step-back three-pointer with four seconds remaining to give Croatia a 95-94 victory. He shot 11-for-17 from the field and added six rebounds and four assists. Dario Šarić contributed 16 points and six rebounds, while Karlo Matković finished with 12. Ömer Yurtseven and Malachi Flynn scored 18 points apiece for Turkey, which played without Alperen Şengün and Tarık Biberović. Cedi Osman added 17.
Turkiye has announced its 17-man preliminary roster for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers window, with Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun notably absent. Sengun, one of the biggest names in Turkish basketball and a centerpiece of the national team in recent years, was not included in head coach Ergin Ataman's squad for the upcoming games against Lithuania and Iceland.
Steven Adams on mentoring Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun: "I just go the old school just bullying tactic. Just bully them. That's just fun. Especially the Turkish people, mate. Got to bully those guys. But no, it's been good, honestly, mentoring them and just seeing the growth. It is still exciting and just again, competing at that level and seeing the growth throughout the year, not just as an individual, but as a team."
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Legion Hoops: Alperen Sengun says he deleted his Twitter because of angry fans: “When we lost games, everyone looking from the outside tried to attack us and find any small thing they could pick on. They tried to pit us against each other. Attacking me through the coach. Because there are so many people out there who want to see us fail, you know? That’s actually why I deleted Twitter. After a certain point, I said, ‘What a dangerous place this is.’ It really drains a person mentally. It makes you second-guess and think, ‘Could something that isn’t real actually be true?’ Such wild things came out.” (via @SocratesDergi, h/t @TheNBABase)
During a conversation with Turkey’s Socrates Magazine, the 23-year-old was asked about some of the controversial narratives surrounding last season’s team. Regarding his pairing with Durant, Sengun said (via YouTube’s English transcript): A perception suddenly formed out of nowhere. I’ve never had an argument with KD, not even once. We’ve never raised our voices at each other. We always talk, and we always talk after games, too. We especially talked after games we lost. Like, “What are we doing wrong?” I specifically would ask him, “What do we need to do? Where do you think we made mistakes today? Why didn’t it work out?” I ask him, and he answers. These things always happen, but like I said, because we’re people who hate losing… you can see that on our faces during games. You can read it on KD’s face. You can read it on my face. You can read it on Ime’s face. KD also has a massive fanbase. I think about it like this. My fans will never view me negatively. I notice this. Like, there are areas where I perform poorly, and I see that myself. But, say, I’m talking to someone on the phone — they’ll always blame others. I’m not that kind of person, though. I always hold myself accountable. I don’t speak like that with anyone — whether it’s a friend or family member. When things like that are discussed, I always say, “That’s not how the situation actually is.” Do you get me? I can’t ease my conscience by shifting the blame to someone else. I don’t like those kinds of excuses, and you can’t get any better that way.
As one example, Sengun pointed to an online controversy surrounding a postgame quote from Ime Udoka regarding Sengun’s pick-and-roll defense. “When I first saw that press conference, what Udoka said didn’t hurt or upset me at all,” Sengun said. “Because I’m very close with Ime, I know what he meant in that statement. So it didn’t bother me in the slightest. What he actually meant was that even if I become the best defender in the league five years from now, they’re still going to target me anyway. It’s been that way since he first arrived (in Houston).” “It’s just that because we suffered a tough loss in that game and the postgame atmosphere was tense, they asked him at such a moment, and since he was a bit frustrated, he answered like that. But because I actually know him personally, I never took it that way. Though of course, social media spun it in that direction, unfortunately.”
As a final point on Udoka, Sengun said he embraces the heightened expectations that accompany being one of the team’s best players. His perspective: “I like that,” Sengun said. “I view pressure as the coach expecting a lot from me. He’s told me, ‘I get mad at you, but I get mad because I know what you’re capable of. And because I expect it, I want you to be the very best at it.’ That pushes a person. It makes me better, honestly.”
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I just went through every pick from 2020 through 2024. That’s 150 first-round picks. First question: did they make an impact for more than a month or two for the team that drafted them? The obvious choices are Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball (2020); Cade Cunningham (2021) and Stephon Castle (2024). Throw in guys like Onyeka Okongwu (2020) and Anthony Black (2023) who clearly are difference makers for the teams that drafted them or traded for them on draft night. How many of that 150 total made the “good list”? 46. In total, less than a third of those first rounders have proved, on their original team, that they belong. For every Franz Wagner and Alperen Şengün we had a Patrick Williams or Kai Jones.
Turkiye has announced its preliminary roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup European qualifiers, with Ergin Ataman preparing a deep and talent-filled squad for the next international window. The Turkish national team will feature a mix of EuroLeague players, young prospects, and NBA talent as they continue their strong run in Group C. The biggest names on the roster are NBA players Alperen Sengun and Adem Bona. Ataman's squad also includes several experienced EuroLeague and national team regulars.
Alperen Sengun attended the EuroLeague Final Four in Athens before the semifinal matchup between Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus. Speaking before tipoff, Sengun reacted to the packed arena and the energy created by European basketball fans. "I know, it's great. You know, you miss this atmosphere out here, so we don't have this out there, but, you know, it's amazing to see," he said during the EuroLeague's pre-game show. "That's why people came to see, and, you know, I'm excited to see it."
The Turkish center came to Athens to support Fenerbahce after Houston's playoff run ended earlier than expected. "You know, unfortunately, we got eliminated in the first round, which is, you know, it was really upsetting for us, but, you know, I came to support the Fenerbahce, and same as well, I wanted to support my coach, Ergin Ataman, but, unfortunately, he's not here. Hopefully next year, but, you know, I'm excited to be here to support my team, Fenerbahce."
