Alperen Şengün, the Turkish center for the Houston Rockets, has been named to the 2026 NBA All-Star Game for the second time in his career. This selection occurred on Sunday when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Şengün as the replacement for injured Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World.
Background and Current Season Performance
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian star and four-time All-Star, was forced to withdraw from the event due to an abdominal strain, despite being voted as a starter. Şengün, now in his fifth NBA season, is averaging 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists over 44 games, contributing significantly to the Rockets’ strong 32-19 record. Their performance places them in a tie for fourth place in the competitive Western Conference.
Details on the Upcoming 75th NBA All-Star Game
The milestone 75th NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday at the Intuit Dome, the home venue for the Los Angeles Clippers. This year, the All-Star format has been changed to feature Team World competing against two American squads—USA Stars and USA Stripes—in a round-robin setup. The mini-tournament consists of three 12-minute games, with the top two teams advancing to a 12-minute final to determine the winner.
Commissioner’s Statement on the All-Star Selection
“Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game (Sunday, 2/15 on NBC & Peacock),”
the NBA said in a statement on Sunday.
