The Houston Rockets’ first half of the 2025-26 season has been somewhat underwhelming. Despite entering the season with a loaded roster, the franchise is only fourth in the Western Conference with a 31-19 record. However, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun have been among the few bright spots for the Rockets. That said, only KD made the All-Star team.
Well, there’s no doubt that the Slim Reaper has been terrific and totally deserves his All-Star spot; the surprising part was Sengun’s omission. The Turkish big man has been instrumental for the Rockets so far in this campaign and deserved a spot. And it seems the NBA Gods have heard the Rockets’ fans, as he has been handed a massive opportunity by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“Alperen Sengun replaced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the World team for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game,” ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported. Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning MVP, has been dealing with an abdominal injury, which he suffered during his team’s win over the Orlando Magic on February 3rd.