Later this month, Houston Rockets center and 2025 NBA All-Star Alperen Sengun plans to play for his native Turkey in this year’s EuroBasket 2025 competition.

It will be the 42nd edition of the EuroBasket championship, which represents the quadrennial international men’s basketball championship organized by FIBA Europe. The tournament is being co-hosted by Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia, with games taking place from August 27 to September 14.

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With preparations underway, Sengun recently granted an interview to Anadolu, a state-run news agency in Turkey. These were among Sengun’s first public comments of the 2025 NBA offseason, since players have no requirements to do interviews when there aren’t games.

Naturally, Sengun was asked about the blockbuster trade bringing 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Rockets. His response, via Anadolu:

I’m excited to play with Durant. Everyone is excited to play with him. It doesn’t matter his age — ultimately, he’s Kevin Durant. I have no doubt he will bring a lot to the team.

He’s very experienced, and we have some very young players. I think he’ll open up the game for us. He’s incredibly effective both offensively and defensively.

The Rockets are coming off a 52-30 season with the No. 2 record in the Western Conference, and considering the offseason additions of veterans like Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, Houston is among the initial championship favorites for the NBA’s 2025-26 campaign.

But part of the reason for that optimism isn’t just the individual play of newly acquired veterans. The idea is that because Houston has a relatively young rotation featuring up-and-comers such as Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard (all between 21 and 24 years old), the Rockets could have more room for internal growth than many of their competitors.

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As Sengun notes, the idea is that Durant’s experience — in addition to the elite perimeter scoring and floor spacing that he almost always brings —can further boost the development of those young players.

More: Rockets star Alperen Sengun to play for Turkey in FIBA EuroBasket 2025

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Alperen Sengun expects Kevin Durant to ‘open up the game’ for Rockets