As they gear up for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2025 competition, Turkey lost Friday’s preparation match versus Germany by two points. It was part of the DBB SuperCup and effectively a road game for the Turkish squad, since the game was played in Munich.
But that narrow defeat certainly wasn’t the fault of Alperen Sengun, an NBA All-Star center with the Houston Rockets.
Advertisement
In under 32 minutes played, Sengun led the way with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists while making 8-of-11 shots (72.7%) and 7-of-9 free throws (77.8%).
That total included a number of highlight moves, most notably a crossover spin from the perimeter that led to a running dunk. It’s not a move that is seen frequently from big men, but Sengun isn’t a normal big man.
One person who noticed was new Rockets teammate Kevin Durant, a future Hall of Famer and former Most Valuable Player (MVP). Responding to a clip of the move, Durant simply summed it up with one word.
“Different.”
Durant was responding to an X user who asked if any other big men were able to move as fluidly in space. The list is quite small, and it’s a unique skill set that Durant will try to help Sengun maximize once training camp opens for the 2025-26 Rockets next month.
More: Rockets star Alperen Sengun to play for Turkey in FIBA EuroBasket 2025
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Different’: Kevin Durant on Alperen Sengun’s elite play for Turkey