Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun will make his second NBA All-Star appearance after being selected to replace Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the World team, NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed on Sunday.
Sengun, 23, has been a key contributor for Houston this season, averaging 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists over 44 games while shooting 49.6% from the field and 29.8% from three-point range.
The Rockets sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 32-19 record, and Sengun’s consistent inside-out play has been a major factor in their push for a top playoff seed. He has played 34 minutes per game this season, logging 8.0 field goals on 16.2 attempts per contest.
This year’s All-Star Game will feature a new USA vs. World format with a round-robin tournament of three teams, each composed of at least eight players. The top two teams based on record will advance to the championship game, with point differential serving as a tiebreaker in the event of a three-way tie. Each game will have a 12-minute time limit.
Team World’s roster includes stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama, with Sengun joining as a reserve alongside Deni Avdija, Jamal Murray, Pascal Siakam, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The team is coached by Darko Rajakovic of the Toronto Raptors.
Sengun’s rise has been steady since entering the league in 2021. In his rookie season, he averaged 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds over 72 games, before improving to 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds as a sophomore. He became a full-time starter in 2024-25, posting 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Sengun will join the All-Star festivities alongside fellow Rockets forward Kevin Durant, who is representing Team USA Stripes.
