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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun was named an NBA All-Star for the second consecutive year, earning a spot on Team World for the 2026 All-Star Game.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver named the 23-year-old Turkish star to replace injured Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
"The 75th NBA All-Star Game will feature two teams of US players (USA Stars and USA Stripes) and one team of international players (Team World) competing in a round-robin mini-tournament with four 12-minute games," the NBA said in a statement.
Sengun said the selection means a lot for his country.
"I think this means a lot. Recently, there were earthquakes in Türkiye, very bad things happened. That's why I'm always happy to bring good news to them," Sengun said at the Houston Rockets training facility.
The center expressed pride in representing his nation, saying, "I'm proud to carry Türkiye's name on my back. And that's very beautiful, man."
Through 44 games this season, Sengun has averaged 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.3 assists per game.
The statistics showcase his development as a playmaker alongside his scoring and rebounding prowess.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will take place Sunday, Feb. 15, at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The new format features a round-robin mini-tournament instead of the traditional East-West matchup.
Sengun was the 16th overall pick by Oklahoma City in the 2021 NBA Draft before Houston acquired his rights. The 6-foot-11 center entered the 2024-25 season having appeared in 210 games with 148 starts, averaging 14.9 points per game, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
In 2023-24, Sengun was one of six NBA players to average at least 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
He holds a historic distinction: Sengun is the first player in NBA history to record at least 3,000 points, 1,500 rebounds and 700 assists while playing fewer than 6,000 minutes through the first three seasons of a career.
Before joining the NBA, Sengun played professionally in Türkiye. In 2020-21, he was named the Turkish Super League MVP while playing for Beşiktaş.
Sengun was a member of the Turkish senior national team and competed in qualifiers for the 2021 Olympics. He helped Türkiye earn a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA Under-18 European Championships while earning All-Tournament Team honors. Prior to concentrating on basketball, Sengun was also involved in swimming.
Born July 25, 2002, Sengun played for Besiktas before entering the NBA. With four years of NBA experience, he has emerged as one of basketball's most promising young international stars.
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