Alperen Şengün On ‘Podcast P With Paul George’

Alperen Şengün speaks on not wanting to go to OKC, not knowing about the Houston trade, and comparisons to Jokic with “Podcast P with Paul George”.

We share highlights from today’s episode of “Podcast P with Paul George” which is presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment and featuring Houston Rockets standout center, Alperen Şengün.

During the interview, the guys discuss his interesting free-throw routine and what he says to the basketball before he shoots, how the team has improved under new head coach, Ime Udoka and the mindset Dillon Brooks has brought to the team.

Şengün also provides insight on his draft night including not wanting to go to OKC, slipping out of the top ten, before eventually landing in Houston via trade.

Later in the episode, Şengün shares his “Welcome to the NBA Moment,” working out with Hall-of-Famer, Hakeem Olajuwon and the tight bond he shares with the rest of the European centers in the NBA, including Nikola Jokić.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

1:17 – ON HIS FREE THROW ROUTINE; TALKING NICELY TO THE BALL

“That routine started a couple of years ago. I was talking to [the ball] all the time…I’m not going to tell the world [what I say]…but I’m just talking to the ball, nicely, and spinning it like this… If it’s not getting in, I’m talking bad next time. I’m talking shit next time.…When I was playing in Turkey my last year, my free throw percentage was like 85-86, something like that. I just didn’t want to change it. Right now it’s not doing real well, like 65 or something but I just don’t want to change it.”

15:00 – SENGUN REVEALS NOT WANTING TO GO TO OKC ON DRAFT NIGHT; TALKS BEING TRADED TO THE ROCKETS

“No, I didn’t know [I was going to be traded] actually. It was like everyone is talking about [the] draft who’s going to go this pick, this pick. I expected that I was going to go before 10. It was like Orlando, Sacramento, eight, nine. We passed that and they said Washington, and Charlotte, was other teams but I knew they [are] not going to pick me because I did not work out with them. I didn’t even work out with Houston, actually. My agent was telling me all the time they calling me for you, they want to learn what you do, they calling everybody, you know? I was getting bored because I was getting nervous because they not gonna pick me, you know. I’m going high pick, I didn’t want that.

Actually, I didn’t want to go to OKC that much. How I can say my OKC workout was like maybe somewhat my worst workout since I came here. It was really so hard. They say you go to OKC but my agent was in my table saying you going to go to OKC but they going to trade you in Houston. I don’t even know anything about Houston because I didn’t even talk to them. But they were telling me OKC so boring, I hope you not going there. When they told me you going to Houston, I was a little happy because something to do over there, people said. I was lucky, a lot of Turkish people were there too which has helped me a lot.”

25:39 – SENGUN ON FIRST WELCOME TO NBA MOMENT

“After I got drafted, before Summer League, we were working out with the team and KJ dunked on me in practice…I used to get every shot in Turkey, I was the block leader…but I gave him space, I didn’t know who KJ was before I came into the NBA and I gave him space so I could jump with him and he went too fast…and I was a little late and he dunked on me, but I didn’t even see it, I just fell.”

37:30 – ON NEW COACH IME UDOKA

“He’s like great off the court and on the court. He’s not that old, you know, he’s young. He’s acting like a player still. I can see the biggest part is he’s so professional. On the court, he knows what we gonna do off the court, like having fun with us, laughing with us, doing everything. He’s not going to lie to your face, which I like because I grew up in Europe and little bit if you guys know, Europe is tough. Like I said the biggest part right now is being professional…he brings a lot of things. I can say he even brings happiness to us.”

41:45 – ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JOKIC

“You know, Jokic is not social media guy, he care about basketball and family. But he’s great guy and European. I can say all European bigs and other players so close to each other…After the game he’s coming up to me saying good job, great job, keep it up. All this great stuff, it’s great for me. I like not trying to play like him, but like you know, our games are similar.”