Alperen Sengun
Getty
Alperen Sengun will get the All-Star nod.
All-Star weekend is less than one week away. Some big-name players have been named starters, while the others will participate as reserves on the weekend. With the NBA’s new All-Star format, more players are headed to All-Star weekend. With injuries in mind, there are more opportunities for players to earn a trip to Los Angeles. Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is one of the players benefiting from an injury.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was an easy pick for the All-Star Game. He was going to be a starter on the World team, but an abdominal injury has kept SGA out of game action recently. That same injury will hold the reigning MVP out of All-Star weekend. This means a replacement is needed.
Per the NBA’s Communications account on X, Sengun will be the replacement for SGA in the All-Star game.
NBA Communications
Rockets center Alperen Sengun has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
Sunday, Feb. 15 | 5 PM ET | NBC & Peacock
Sengun is an All-Star for the second straight season.
Sengun will join Kevin Durant as the only two Rockets in the All-Star games.
Alperen Sengun Deserves the All-Star Nod
Alperen Sengun
GettyAlperen Sengun is averaging 20.8 points per game this season.
Sengun will make an All-Star appearance for the second-straight season. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.8 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.0 blocks, and he is shooting just under 50% from the floor.
On Saturday night, Sengun recorded a triple-double against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He put up 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in the six-point win. He is a major part of Houston’s success, and this All-Star nod is well-deserved.
The other big men on the World team include Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Pascal Siakam. With those stars taking part in the game, it makes sense why Sengun was left off the World team. Now, All-Stars were picked without regard to position. Although unlikely, a team could be full of frontcourt players. That is why SGA was replaced with Sengun rather than a guard.
Still, there are plenty of talented players from around the world, which made this team as competitive as we have seen in NBA All-Star weekend. Sengun joining the World squad only makes the team better.
Looking Forward to All-Star Weekend
Steph Curry
GettySteph Curry was the MVP of last year’s All-Star game.
All-Star weekend will, of course, feature more than just the All-Star game(s).
On February 13th, the Rising Stars game will take place. This will be three teams of NBA rookies and sophomores, and one team of G League players. The coaches of the three rookie teams are Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony. Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.
On the same day is the Celebrity All-Star game. A notable participant is NBA insider Shams Charania. Additionally, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the coaches in the Celebrity game. February 13th will also feature the HBCU Classic between Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University.
Valentines day will feature the three-point contest and slam dunk contest. The shooting stars challenge will also take place on February 14th. The following day will be the 75th All-Star game, where two teams of USA players and one team of World players will square off.