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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun made history by becoming the first Turkish player to be selected to the NBA All-Star Game in consecutive seasons, earning his second straight appearance after being named an injury replacement for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league announced.
The Turkish national team player, who earned his first All-Star selection in 2024, will join the roster for the 2025 game after Gilgeous-Alexander was ruled out due to injury. Sengun becomes the latest addition to a revamped All-Star format featuring two American teams and one World team competing in a tournament-style event.
The 22-year-old Rockets pivot was notably absent from the reserve roster announced on February 2, a snub that left him publicly expressing frustration with the selection process.
"My goal was to be an All-Star every year after last year," Sengun said following the initial announcement. "Not being selected was disappointing for me. There's so much talent in the league and I'm still young. Eventually, I'll achieve this. This situation will just push me to work harder."
His perseverance paid off within days as the injury to Gilgeous-Alexander opened a roster spot that league officials filled with the Houston center.
Sengun has anchored Houston's frontcourt this season as the Rockets have competed in the Western Conference playoff race. The Giresun native previously carried Türkiye's national team, known as the 12 Dev Adam (12 Giant Men), in international competition before establishing himself as one of the NBA's promising young big men.
The All-Star Game will feature a new tournament format with three teams of eight players each. The squads will compete in 12-minute games, with the top two teams advancing to a championship matchup.
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