Alperen Sengun Has Gained Valuable Experience During the Playoffs and EuroBasket

The experience that Alperen Sengun has gained in last year playoffs and this year EuroBasket tournament is invaluable.

Apr 30, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dribbles against Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Knox II (31) in the fourth quarter during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Like most of the Houston Rockets last season, the Rockets ' first-round matchup against the Golden State Warriors was Alperen Sengun's first taste of postseason basketball. The Rockets came out flat and lost Game 1 to the Warriors, and multiple players after the game spoke about how the lights were so much brighter than in any regular-season game.

As the playoffs went on, Sengun got a lot more comfortable with the speed and physicality of the playoffs, and in the last few games, he had his best stretch of the entire series. Despite the first-round loss, Sengun and the Rockets felt it was good to gain that playoff experience, as it would help them going into the next season.

Up until that series, Sengun had seen his NBA season end after the last regular-season game, but being part of the playoffs last season was invaluable experience. When it comes to international basketball, Sengun had seen success much earlier, as he was part of the Türkiye team that made it to the Round of 16 in the 2022 EuroBasket tournament, losing a challenging game to France in overtime.

That was the most successful Türkiye has had at the EuroBasket in years, that is, until the 2025 tournament. Friday, Alperen Sengun and Türkiye defeated Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece to reach their first finals since 2001.

Unlike the 2022 tournament, where Sengun was coming off his first season in the NBA and wasn't the star of the team, Sengun is the star of the 2025 Türkiye team, as he has been the best player on the court in almost every single win.

EuroBasket is one of the highest-stress tournaments in the world and only happens every four years, just like the Olympics. Add on the fact that Turkiye has never won a gold medal, and the weight of an entire country has been on Sengun's shoulders. He has not only risen to the occasion, but he is the leading candidate for MVP if Turkiye wins Sunday over Germany.

Even though it is a different type of pressure in the NBA, the experience Sengun has gained leading his team to the gold medal game, as the Rockets are expected to be one of the NBA championship favorites this upcoming season, which means the most pressure Sengun and the Rockets have been under in several years.

No matter what happens in Sunday's gold medal game, Sengun has proven this tournament and in last year's playoffs that he will not wilt under pressure, and that could play a huge factor in the Rockets' quest for their first championship in 30 years.