Old wisdom states that you should never meet your heroes. But if you’re going to do it, you might as well impress them. And that’s exactly what second-year Turkish big man Alperen Şengün did with his performance on Monday night.
Alperen Şengün impresses his idol Nikola Jokić with his performance on Monday night
It’s always fun when a young NBA player gets to shine against one of his heroes
Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Although only seven years younger than him, Şengün admitted to idolizing and modeling his game after the two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokić.
“It makes me happy when they compare me to him (Jokić) because he is my idol,” Şengün told reporters before the game.
He was in such awe and reverence of Jokić that he played the game in a fugue state of mind. “I forget everything when I get on the court [with Jokić].”
It’s a shame he can’t remember the events that transpired because he played excellently in the presence of his hero, logging 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7 for 14 shooting from the floor in just 23 minutes of action.
“I was excited to play against him. I played well, he played well,” Şengün added. “It was a good game for us, we have to look forward to the next game… I’m learning. He’s a good post-up player, and I’m learning how I can guard when they play the post-up.”
His performance was so impressive that it even garnered the attention of Jokić himself. He helpfully suggested the Houston Rockets’ coaching staff run more of their offense through Şengün.
“I think he’s really talented,” Jokić said of Şengün after the game. “Maybe this is going to sound weird, but I think they need to play a little bit more through him. Sometimes they look a little bit more stagnant with all their threes. The guy has the talent. He can pass the ball, he can post up, he has the touch around the rim. You can see some different moves that he’s made.”
One of the things that has made Jokić one of the best offensive players ever is his foresight. He has a knack for seeing events before they happen. Maybe the same is true with his talent evaluation skills. Maybe he sees Şengün’s star-turn before the rest of us do. Maybe, just maybe, Jokić sees himself in Şengün.
If you’re a Rockets fan, you are hoping that’s the case.
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