Houston Rockets' center Alperen Şengün became the first Turkish player to appear in the NBA All-Star Game twice, reinforcing his place among the league’s elite and carving out another milestone for Turkish basketball.
In the first All-Star Game under its revamped format, the USA Stars rolled past the USA Stripes 45 to 21 in Sunday night’s final, with Anthony Edwards earning MVP honors.
Yet for Türkiye, the spotlight fell firmly on Şengün, who once again carried his nation’s flag onto the game’s biggest midseason stage.
Şengün logged just nine minutes across his appearances, but he squeezed meaning out of every second.
In the tournament opener, he needed only three minutes to collect four rebounds and dish out two assists. Quick off his feet on the defensive glass, he pushed the ball with confidence and dictated tempo in transition.
In his next outing, he added one point, one rebound and two assists in six minutes. Scoring was secondary. Playmaking was the message. The 23-year-old orchestrated possessions, found cutters and spaced the floor with the poise of a seasoned floor general.
He closed his All-Star campaign with five rebounds and four assists. Modest numbers on paper. Noticeable influence on the court.
Speaking at Media Day at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Şengün reflected on how quickly expectations have changed.
Last year, he said, the moment felt new. This time it felt necessary.
“It means something to me that people in Türkiye wake up at four or five in the morning to watch,” Şengün said. “Last year I was more excited because it was my first time. This year I told myself I have to be here. Not being here would have been a disappointment.”
That shift in mindset speaks volumes. Şengün is no longer content with participation. He expects presence.
He also stressed how much it meant to share the stage with family, including his older brothers and his first coach. For a player who grew up far from the NBA spotlight, those moments carry weight beyond the hardwood.
Şengün did not shy away from ambition. One of his long-term targets is guiding Türkiye back to the Olympic stage in 2028.
Asked which Olympic sport he might have excelled in, he smiled and said swimming, noting he spent much of his childhood in the water because his father was a fisherman.
Even amid All-Star festivities, his focus extends beyond exhibition games. It stretches toward national duty and sustained NBA relevance.
The weekend was not without noise. Screenshots circulated from a fake social media account falsely attributed to Kevin Durant, containing inflammatory comments about Şengün and other NBA figures, along with remarks referencing Israel and drones.
The messages were widely identified as fabricated and did not originate from Durant. The incident briefly stirred online debate but had no bearing on the All-Star event itself.
Two straight All-Star selections confirm what Rockets fans have watched all season. Şengün is no longer a promising prospect. He is a franchise cornerstone, a creative big man who blends rebounding, vision and scoring instincts in a way few centers can replicate.
For Turkish basketball, his second All-Star appearance is more than a personal triumph. It is proof that the pipeline can produce players who do not just reach the NBA stage, but belong there.
