Kevin Durant reveals which young NBA stars have his attention

Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant is the most recent in a line of superstar NBA players to give some love to a certain young baller on the Houston Rockets.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant knows talent when he sees it, and he recently gave a shoutout to Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun, a 20-year-old Turkish talent who has been tearing it up in the league recently.

In a guest appearance on #NBAHooperVision, Durant was asked which young NBA players he enjoys watching, and he said Sengun has caught his eye with the way the Rockets center has been “dunking on a couple of people … I didn’t know he could get up like that. I like him.”

Durant also handed out some praise to Sengun’s teammate, Jalen Green.

Sengun was a No. 16 draft pick by the Rockets back in 2021 and has averaged 15.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season. The second-year center poses as an emerging star even in a roster chockful of young talent with guys like Green, Kevin Porter Jr, and Jabari Smith.

Kevin Durant names Houston’s Alperen Sengun as a young star to watch

Sengun’s intuitive passing abilities and stabilizing presence at the top of the key make him a valuable asset to a Houston offense that can sometimes feel one-dimensional. A week ago, Sengun put together a historic performance in which he stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high 21 points along with 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a narrow loss to the Washington Wizards.

He became the first center in NBA history to record multiple triple-doubles before turning 21, and he has stayed consistent all season, averaging at least 15 points, three assists and one block per game.

Durant isn’t the only prominent NBA player impressed with Sengun’s prolific numbers: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards have also complimented the young center in the past.

With a 10-30 record, the Rockets don’t appear playoff-bound in 2023 yet despite their season woes, they can boast some of the most promising young players in the league. Sengun has his whole career ahead of him.