Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Alperen Sengun Shows Love to Former Teammate

Alperen Sengun had kind words for a former Houston Rockets teammate.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun has a bright future in the NBA, but he isn't quick to forget about the road that has led him to this moment.

In his first two seasons in the league, Sengun grew a lot alongside KJ Martin with the Stephen Silas-era Rockets. While they lost a lot, they matured together to build their careers in the league.

After Sengun and the Rockets beat Martin and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, the two exchanged jerseys, and the Houston center posted the interaction on social media.

Martin, who was a second-round pick by the Rockets in the 2020 NBA Draft, was traded following the 2022-23 campaign to the Los Angeles Clippers for two future second-round picks. After just two games with the Clippers, Martin was then traded to the Sixers in a blockbuster trade that involved former teammate James Harden.

Martin has been trying to find footing in the NBA ever since, but he is beginning to carve out a role with the Sixers as they have been decimated by injuries. So far this season, Martin is averaging 4.4 points per game while playing 16.5 minutes per contest.

Maybe there's a world where Martin and Sengun become teammates once again, but for now, they will compete on the floor against one another.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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