Why Ime Udoka gave Alperen Sengun comparisons to Michael Jordan

The Houston Rockets they are having a great season this year, going 28-13 as the second seed in the Western Conference, and much of that success is thanks to the 22-year-old center Alperen Sengunthat is turning heads around the league. He is averaging 19.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this season, and because of his outstanding performance, the head coach of the Rockets Making Udoka he says Turkish fans regard him as highly as Michael Jordan.

“All the losses they made before I got here, and now we’re seeing some success. For the most part, I think he handles it well. According to what my coaches, who worked with him one-on-one during the summer, he’s like Michael Jordan in Turkey. He faces a lot more when he goes home, so he’s used to it now.” Udoka made the revelation before the Rockets’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.

Being compared to Michael Jordan in your home country isn’t something most 22-year-olds deal with, but Sengun embraces it. He is already a national hero in Turkey, like Giannis Antetokounmpo in Greece or Luka Doncic in Slovenia. All of this isn’t even news for Sengun, as he’s been in the spotlight ever since he dominated the Turkish pro league as a teenager. before making it to the NBA.

This season, Sengun’s influence has been felt around the world. His high averages in rebounds (10.5), assists (5.1) and steals (1.4) highlight his well-rounded development. He also shoots efficiently, with a 49.1% field goal percentage and a 54.0% true shooting percentage. Although his scoring is down a bit, he makes up for it with improved defense and playmaking.

The Rockets’ recent 125-103 road win over the Trail Blazers was another game where Sengun showed his dominance as he had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists in just 31 minutes while shooting 52.6% from the floor. Performances like these are becoming routine for the 6’11”, 255-pound center, who has played in 251 career games averaging 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Alperen Sengun has the potential to be an All-Starwho comes from a small town in Turkey and probably becomes the first from his country. “Where I grew up, it was such a small town, and as you know, where I grow up, there are no rich people, and I wasn’t rich,” Sengun shared on the podcast. Now he’s getting ready to lead Houston to a high playoff seed and motivate the next generation of Turkish talent, much like Hedo Turkoglu did before him.