It is the first All-Star selection for Şengün, the 22-year-old center who over the last four seasons has helped to rebuild the Rockets into a playoff contender.

Alperen Şengün joined the Houston Rockets at the depths of their post-Harden rebuild in the 2021 NBA draft. The 22-year-old center is now an All-Star as Houston rises up the NBA hierarchy. Şengün’s been reaching new heights this season 🚀 Alperen Şengün is an #NBAAllStar! pic.twitter.com/GfTkVUlnKv

All-Star center Alperen Sengun (bruised calf) missed his first game of the season for the Rockets, who gave Steven Adams his first start.

The Houston Rockets (32-14) go for a season sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies (31-16) on Thursday night in a nationally televised game at FedEx Forum, the fourth and final game in the regular-season series between the Western Conference rivals.

Rockets star Alperen Sengun earned the first NBA All-Star selection of his career, only needing one word to react to the news.

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun was selected as an All-Star reserve tonight on the NBA on TNT pregame show. Sengun, at 21 years old, joins seven other players on the Western Conference All-Star bench,