Alperen Sengun explains his unconventional free-throw ritual / News - Basketnews.com

Alperen Sengun sticks to his unorthodox free throw technique and pep talk with the basketball: "I'm just talking to the ball nicely and spinning it. But if it's not getting in, I'm talking s**t next time."

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

Many NBA players have unique free throw routines, and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun is no exception.

Alperen Sengun

MIN:32.77PTS:20.21 (58.11%)REB:9.07As:5.64ST:0.93BL:0.71TO:2.79GM:14ProfileNBA2023/2024

Sengun's distinctive ritual involves engaging in a brief pep talk with the basketball before each free-throw attempt, a practice he's maintained for the past couple of years.

During an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, Sengun delved into the specifics of his routine and its perceived effectiveness.

"That routine started a couple of years ago. I was talking to [the ball] all the time," he said. "I'm not going to tell the world [what I say], but I'm just talking to the ball nicely and spinning it. One dribble and shot. But if it's not getting in, I'm talking bad another time. I'm talking s**t next time.

"When I was playing in Turkey my last year, my free throw percentage was like 85-86, something like that. I just didn't want to change it. Right now, it's not doing real well that much, like 65 or something, but I just don't want to change it."

Despite his current struggles, shooting at 63.6% from the free-throw line, the 21-year-old remains steadfast in preserving his unique approach. Last season, he achieved a free throw percentage of 71.5%.

"I am talking bad right now," Sengun admitted.

Even in practice, his teammates playfully mess with him, mimicking his ritual with remarks like, "Do that s**t, do that s**t."

In this regard, Sengun is quite on a different level from a center, with whom he is constantly compared. Denver Nuggets leader Nikola Jokic converted 85.0% of his free-throw attempts in his third NBA season.

Despite the comparisons, Sengun stressed the camaraderie among European players, sharing experiences of Jokic's supportive gestures post-game.

"You know, Jokic is not a social media guy. He cares about basketball and family. But he's a great guy and European. I can say all European bigs and other players are so close to each other," Sengun also shared with Paul George. "After the game, he's coming up to me saying, 'Good job, great job, keep it up.' All this great stuff, it's great for me. I'm like not trying to play like him, but like you know, our games are similar."

Sengun is currently playing his best NBA season, averaging 20.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists over 14 games.

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