After guiding Türkiye to the EuroBasket 2025 Final, Alperen Şengün reflected on the crucial motivation from head coach Ergin Ataman and the collective effort that helped limit Greece’s superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, in the semifinals.
“Just go over there and fight. We have really talented players on our team,” Şengün explained, emphasizing the team-first mindset and preparation that drove their dominant performance on Friday.
“Everybody can score. Everybody can defend in our team. We play with our hearts. Everybody loves each other. Everybody plays for each other. We have a great coach, who gives us the confidence before the games.”
He also shared Ataman’s pregame message, highlighting the veteran coach’s authority and confidence.
“He said, ‘We are a better team. I know this. I’ve been coaching for 30 years. If I say something, that’s true’. So, he gave us the confidence,” the 23-year-old Houston Rockets center said.
Despite early shooting struggles, Şengün recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while adding six assists, two steals, and a block.
He downplayed the personal stats, instead pointing to team contributions.
“It doesn’t have to be my night every night. It was my teammates’ night,” he said. “I was just keeping playing aggressively. I know the ball is coming to me, so I can’t do anything. I was just trying to do my best in defense and just finish the easy shots in offense.”
Defensively, Türkiye’s strategy successfully contained Antetokounmpo to 12 points and 12 rebounds.
“It wasn’t a bad performance from them. We did this,” Şengün said of the one-sided traffic in Xiaomi Arena.
“They’re a great team. They’ve been playing really well. We just went over there and fought. We played more aggressively. We play harder tonight than them. We made the shots. We were just better.”
Asked specifically about Giannis, Şengün explained the approach to neutralize the superstar. “We just put pressure on him. Giannis is one of the best players in the world, and we just tried to help Ercan [Osmani], and I think we did a good job,” he said.
“He’s an amazing player, but he’s not like a great passer. So, we’re just trying to help and like jump to close the paint.”
“He's an amazing player, but he's not like a great passer” – Alperen Sengun on Turkiye’s defense versus Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Semifinals #EuroBaskethttps://t.co/qKKosmE9b6
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 12, 2025
