Alperen Şengün becomes youngest player in EuroBasket history to record a triple-double

Key facts

• Alperen Şengün recorded a triple-double (19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) in 25 minutes against Poland on September 12, 2025.
• He became the youngest player in EuroBasket history to achieve a triple-double since the statistic was officially tracked in 1995.
• Turkey defeated Poland 91-77 in the quarterfinals at Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia.
• Şengün is averaging 22.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game in EuroBasket 2025.
• Turkey finished Group A undefeated, beating Serbia, Latvia, Portugal, Estonia, and the Czech Republic.
• Only four other players have recorded a EuroBasket triple-double since 1995: Luka Dončić, Mateusz Ponitka, Andrei Mandache, and Toni Kukoč.
• Şengün left his hometown of Giresun, Turkey, at age 12 to join a youth basketball club 650 miles away.
• His father worked as a fisherman; his family lived in a modest apartment where parents slept on kitchen couches.

A historic night in Riga

Alperen Şengün etched his name into the EuroBasket record books on Friday, becoming the youngest player ever to record a triple-double in the tournament. The 23-year-old Houston Rockets center finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 25 minutes of play, leading Turkey to a 91-77 quarterfinal victory over Poland at Arena Riga. The feat places Şengün alongside an elite group. Since the statistic became official in 1995, only four other players have logged a triple-double in EuroBasket: Luka Dončić, who did so earlier this summer for Slovenia; Mateusz Ponitka for Poland in 2022; Andrei Mandache for Romania in 2017; and Toni Kukoč for Croatia in 1995. Dončić, now a Los Angeles Lakers superstar, recorded 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a group-stage win over Belgium on August 31.

Turkey's dominant run

Turkey entered the quarterfinals as the only team with a perfect record in Group A, having swept through Serbia, Latvia, Portugal, Estonia, and the Czech Republic. The group included Serbia, which boasts Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, one of the world's premier players. Turkey then dispatched Sweden in the round of 16 before facing Poland. Şengün has been the engine of Turkey's campaign, averaging 22.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists across six games. His triple-double against Poland was his most complete performance yet, showcasing the playmaking and rebounding that have made him a cornerstone for both club and country.

The weight of a family's dreams

Şengün's path to this moment began in Giresun, a historic city on Turkey's Black Sea coast. He grew up in a modest apartment with his parents and siblings, where space was so tight that his parents often slept on couches propped up in the kitchen. His father worked as a fisherman, and the family struggled to make ends meet. When Şengün was 12, his coach told him bluntly: "There's nothing for you here. Leave for your family." The decision meant moving 650 miles west to join a renowned youth basketball club on the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara. Şengün cried as he left, and for weeks afterward he called his family every night, begging them to pick him up. "I was crying every day," he recalled. "I was calling them to pick me up from here because I can't do it. I miss you guys."

Sacrifice and resolve

His parents tried to hide their own anguish. Şengün remembers his mother struggling to conceal her sadness, while his father remained stoic, appearing almost "coldblooded" in comparison. "It was hard for me, and it was hard for them, too," Şengün said. "But they weren't really showing me that." After about four months, the homesickness gave way to purpose. "I understood what I have to do this for," Şengün said, "to give my family and for myself a better life." He began to see himself becoming someone, earning money, taking care of his family. The few times his parents visited, he would hug them tightly, as if to prevent them from leaving again — the same way he had clung to his father after long days at sea.

Playoff pressure in Houston

Şengün's heroics in Riga come amid a grueling NBA playoff run. The Houston Rockets, seeded low in the Western Conference, pushed the Lakers to a sixth game after trailing 3-0 in the first-round series. In Game 5, Şengün delivered a speech to his teammates before leading them to a 99-93 victory in Los Angeles, forcing Game 6 at Toyota Center. The Rockets have been depleted by injuries: veterans Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are out, and Kevin Durant, who logged the second-most minutes in the NBA this season at age 37, is too hurt to play. The young core — Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard — has shouldered the load. Şengün, at 23 the most experienced of the starters, is doing everything he can to extend the series and bring drama back into LeBron James's postseason.

What comes next

Turkey will face the winner of Lithuania and Greece in the EuroBasket semifinals on Friday. Greece features Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, presenting another formidable challenge. Şengün's historic triple-double has elevated expectations, but the team remains focused on the ultimate prize. Meanwhile, the Rockets face elimination in Game 6 against the Lakers. Şengün's ability to balance the demands of two high-stakes campaigns — one for his country, one for his club — will test his resilience. Yet his journey from a tearful 12-year-old in Giresun to a record-breaking international star suggests he is equipped for the weight.

A symbol of perseverance

Şengün's story is one of sacrifice, family, and relentless ambition. The same instincts that made him a promising youth prospect — his height, his game sense, his potential — have carried him to the NBA and now to the EuroBasket record books. His triple-double is not merely a statistical milestone; it is a testament to the years of separation, the tears, and the unwavering support of a family that believed in his dream. As he prepares for the next game — whether in Riga or Houston — Şengün carries with him the memory of his parents' faces, the words of his coach, and the taste of his mother's dolma. The boy who cried every night has become the man his family needed him to be.

The bottom line

• Alperen Şengün, 23, became the youngest player in EuroBasket history to record a triple-double, achieving the feat in 25 minutes against Poland.
• Turkey advanced to the EuroBasket semifinals with a 91-77 win, remaining undefeated in the tournament.
• Şengün left his family in Giresun at age 12 to pursue basketball, crying daily for months before embracing the sacrifice.
• He is averaging 22.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game in EuroBasket 2025.
• In the NBA, Şengün helped the Houston Rockets force a Game 6 against the Lakers after a 3-0 series deficit.
• Only five players have recorded a EuroBasket triple-double since 1995: Şengün, Dončić, Ponitka, Mandache, and Kukoč.