Shane Larkin, Alperen Sengun's teammate on the Turkish national team, said the nickname 'Baby Jokic' suited the Houston Rockets All-Star a couple of years ago, following Sengun's dominant performance against Nikola Jokic's Serbia in EuroBasket 2025.
Houston Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, also known as 'Baby Jokic,' deserves a new nickname, says his teammate on the Turkish national team, Shane Larkin.
Player of the Game
Alperen Sengun
37
Alperen Sengun
Points
Accuracy
Rebounds
Assists
Sengun put up a dominant performance in the EuroBasket 2025 game against no other but Nikola Jokic-led Serbia.
Sengun's Dominant Performance vs. Jokic in EuroBasket 2025
In a crucial 95-90 win that secured Turkiye the No. 1 seed in Group A, Sengun finished the game with 28 points (10/17 FG, 4/7 3PT, 4/5 FT), 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal in 36 minutes of action.
The four made 3-pointers also marked Sengun's career high, across both the NBA and all FIBA competitions.
Is Alperen Sengun's 'Baby Jokic' Nickname Still Fitting?
Given Sengun's performance tonight and his overall growth as a player, the question naturally arises: Is the 'Baby Jokic' nickname still fitting?
"I mean, that's a challenging question to answer," Larkin admitted in the press conference. "I don't think he would want that nickname. But, you know, I think you can see the similarities with their games. Alperin has big aspirations. Alperin's a very confident kid. He has a very high level of basketball skill and a very high level of talent."
"I don't think he is anywhere near his ceiling. I think he's going to continue to evolve and continue to get better and better. So, in his younger years, his rookie year, second year, you could call him, you know, Baby Jokic just because their play styles are very similar."
"But I think he's proving during this tournament that he is ready to take the next step. Last year, he was an NBA All-Star, and I think he's going to continue to grow and become a better player.
"The sky's the limit for him. That nickname was suiting for him a couple of years ago, but I think he's much bigger and much better than he was when they originally gave him that nickname," Larkin added in his detailed answer.
Alperen Sengun's EuroBasket 2025 Stats and Rankings
Throughout five EuroBasket 2025 appearances so far, Sengun averages 21.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game.
The Rockets star ranks 6th in scoring, 3rd in rebounding, and 3rd in assists among all EuroBasket players.
This Was The Best EuroBasket Game By Far!
Edvinas Jablonskis
Edvinas Jablonskis began his basketball coverage career in 2017. Starting as a Daily Writer for BasketNews.lt, he steadily climbed the ranks and became a Daily Editor for BasketNews.com in 2021, a position he continues to hold. Over the years, Jablonskis has covered multiple EuroLeague Final Fours and international tournaments, including the FIBA EuroBasket, FIBA Basketball World Cup, and FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
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