A Houston Rockets All-Star has already leapfrogged a recent league MVP, according to a colleague on his national team.
Per Eurohoops Turkey, former longtime Philadelphia 76ers swingman Furkan Korkmaz is convinced that Rockets center Alperen Sengun is already the best player he's ever suited up alongside — and Korkmaz spent all seven years of his NBA career next to Joel Embiid, the 2023 MVP. Korkmaz's tenure also overlapped with that of future Hall of Fame swingman Jimmy Butler.
Korkmaz and Sengun are currently striving to help their native Turkey medal at this year's EuroBasket tournament. Turkey has already advanced to the semifinals, where it will face off against Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo's Greek national team on Friday.
Sengun on the rise
Houston has revamped its core this summer. New additions Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, and Josh Okogie will help prop up a core of rising stars in Sengun, All-Defensive small forward Amen Thompson, power forward Jabari Smith Jr., forward Tari Eason, and top 2024 lottery pick Reed Sheppard, plus veteran one-time All-Star Fred VanVleet.
Houston went 52-30 last season and secured the Western Conference's No. 2 seed. This year, it appears to have graduated among the West's inner circle.
🔥 "Beraber oynadığım en iyi uzunun Joel Embiid olduğunu düşünüyordum ama..."
— Eurohoops Türkiye (@EurohoopsTR) September 9, 2025
🇹🇷 Furkan Korkmaz, Alperen Şengün hakkında övgü dolu sözler söyledi:#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/3yRRqPy6TA
Korkmaz, now playing for Bahcesehir Koleji in his native Turkey, explained why Sengun had lapped Embiid during a EuroBasket presser.
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"Until now, I think Joel Embiid was the best center that I was playing [with], but I think we can tell that it's Alperen now," Korkmaz revealed of his countryman. "So it's great to be around him, he's enjoying playing basketball. He helps us a lot on the court, defensively and offensively. I think he's a special kid. And every day, he's trying to give his maximum."
Saying the 23-year-old Sengun has already overtaken a seven-time All-Star and, again, the 2023 league MVP represents high praise indeed. Is Sengun better than the aging and injury-prone Embiid right now, with the latter on the wrong side of 30? Yes, absolutely. But has his ceiling already eclipsed that of the more plodding, ground-bound former Philadelphia superstar? That's harder to say.
Through his first six games of EuroBasket competition, Sengun has been averaging 22.0 points, 10.7 boards and 6.7 dimes a night.
"And this year, we are also seeing that he's playing aggressive defense too, not only offense," Korkmaz added. "And that gives us a lot of confidence on the frontcourt that if we pressure the ball well, he's helping us from different ways. I hope that he has still long way to go, he's gonna grow a lot [as a player] and then we're gonna see much better basketball from him, from this year to next year. He's going to keep adding."
The 6-foot-11 big man averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists for Houston in his 76 regular season games last year.
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