ISTANBUL (Türkiye) - Think about all the great players that have suited up for Türkiye since the millennium, especially at the center position.
Omer Asik comes to mind, as does Mehmet Okur, who also played power forward.
Now consider the present. There is Alperen Sengun, whose career has truly taken off with the Houston Rockets.
Sengun, still only 22, is averaging 19.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game - all career highs. His numbers have gone up dramatically in each of his three seasons.
As a rookie, Sengun averaged 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists and then last season his numbers went up to 14.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game
In a game against the San Antonio Spurs last March, Sengun set the NBA abuzz with a career-high 45 points.
More important than individual stats, perhaps, is that his team is winning - a lot of games. His output is All-Star worthy, considering Houston (29-14) is second in the Western Conference, behind only Oklahoma City (36-8).
In a league with so many stars producing amazing numbers, what separates the elite from boxscore fillers is their impact on the team - the ability to elevate everyone’s level around them.
Will Sengun help the 12 Giant Men challenge for supremacy at FIBA EuroBasket 2025? His continued growth and at times dominating displays this season in the NBA suggest he will.
National team coach Ergin Ataman confirmed several months ago that Sengun would be in the lineup.
"Today Cedi (Osman) came to watch the game and I talked with Alperen, he said he will be with us next year," Ataman said. "When our NBA players arrive, we will be a much stronger team, but if we can prepare 4 to 5 players from this roster for the EuroBasket, then we will be stronger."
Ataman was speaking after a win over the Philippines in a friendly, when Türkiye were preparing for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers. Osman was still in the NBA at the time but soon after decided to play for Ataman at Panathinaikos.
Türkiye have had really good centers.
Asik burst onto the national team scene at FIBA EuroBasket 2009 and the following year helped the country reach the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup Final in Istanbul. He had a more profound impact at the same event four years later in Spain when he averaged 9.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Asik was 2.14M (7'0") in height with a 2.18M (7'2") wingspan. His standing reach of 2.84M (9'4") and athleticism made him formidable guarding the rim.
Before him was Okur, who at 2.10M (6'11"). Okur's finest hours were at FIBA EuroBasket 2001 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002.
At FIBA EuroBasket 2001, a 22-year-old Okur had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 87-85 Quarter-Final triumph over Croatia. Türkiye lost in the Final to Yugoslavia.
At the World Cup the next year, Okur led Türkiye in scoring 17.3 points per game yet they came up short of the Quarter-Finals. Okur, who joined the Detroit Pistons after that World Cup, became the only Turkish player to win an NBA title in 2004.
So what makes the 2.11M (6'11") Sengun, whose wingspan is 2.13M, so tantalizing? Maybe think back to FIBA Hall of Famer Vlade Divac, who was outstanding on offense and a strong rebounder while providing size and presence in the paint. Though three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of Serbia is a whole different level, Sengun does have playmaking skills in the low post. Where he can improve is his defense.
It's realistic to expect big things from Sengun this summer. When he played at FIBA EuroBasket 2022, averaging 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, it was after his rookie season in the NBA. He also represented his country in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 at home, where he scored 16.6 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game. However, Türkiye fell short in the final against Croatia (71-84).
Now, in 2025, he looks like a very different player.
FIBA