What a EuroBasket Championship Would Mean for Rockets Star Alperen Sengun

Turkish center Alperen Sengun is on the cusp of Turkey's first EuroBasket championship. What would it mean for not just the country, but also his career?

Feb 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

EuroBasket 2025 is almost over, with a lot of NBA fans watching during the offseason's dead period. For Houston Rockets fans, this has been an exciting time. All-Star center Alperen Sengun has not only played well for his home country, Turkey, but he's on the verge of accomplishing something huge, perhaps the best accolade of his career so far.

In the semifinals of EuroBasket, Sengun and Turkey crushed Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece, 94-68. That clinched the country's first podium finish since 2001. The team is guaranteed silver, but has a chance for a championship with gold.

Sengun's come-up to the NBA has already made him a star among Turkish fans. However, his rise to stardom in the United States has elevated him to a superstar. He is already finding success in the league, but he's on the cusp of the greatest achievement in his early basketball career.

A win against Germany in the final would give Turkey its first EuroBasket championship ever. The team made the championship match back in 2001, led by Hedo Turkoglu, Mehmet Okur and Ibrahim Kutluay. That team has been immortalized in the country's basketball history, but Sengun has a chance to cement his own legacy.

If he isn't already, a win for Sengun would make him the greatest player in Turkish basketball history, and it would make the country extremely more recognizable on the global circuit. It would put it closer to those of Spain, Germany and perhaps France.

Sengun could also go down as one of the best EuroBasket performers of all time. Averaging 20.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game, he ranks in the top 10 in all three categories. A championship would validate those numbers even more as a player who can do it all and get the job done.

In the United States, a EuroBasket championship for Sengun would improve his image among competitors. Right now, he's viewed as an up-and-coming star, but a championship would make him even more of a legitimate threat next to Kevin Durant this season. He'll have experience at European basketball's highest level.

Even if the 23-year-old doesn't win a championship, he'll still have a legacy among Turkey and Europe's best. The country is a clear underdog, going up against Dennis Schroder and the juggernaut that is Germany. However, it isn't impossible, and Sengun and company have serious momentum. One game could infinitely enhance his basketball image.