One former Philadelphia 76ers player no longer sees Joel Embiid as the best center he’s ever shared the court with.
Longtime Sixers sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz spoke to reporters Tuesday after his Turkish men’s national team made it to the EuroBasket semifinals. Seven Turkish players scored in double figures in a total team effort, with none of them breaching the 20-point plateau. But it was clear one player stood out: Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun.
Sengun finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead Turkey in all three categories during the team’s 91-77 win over Poland. Korkmaz felt the performance finally propelled Sengun above Embiid, at least in his eyes.
“Until now, I [had thought] Joel Embiid was the best player, best center that I [have played with]. But I think we can tell that it’s Alperen [Sengun] now,” Korkmaz said during his postgame press conference.
“It’s great to be around him, you know. He’s enjoying playing basketball. He helps us a lot on the court, defensively and offensively. I think he’s a special kid. Every day, he’s trying to give his maximum. This year, we’re also seeing that he’s playing aggressive defense too, not only offense. … I hope that he still has a long way to go. He’s going to grow a lot.”
Former Sixers wing Furkan Korkmaz:
— Antonis Stroggylakis (@AStroggylakis) September 9, 2025
"Until now I thought Joel Embiid was the best center I've played with.
But I think we can say now it's Alperen Sengun." pic.twitter.com/WDxKk4xzpd
On one hand, Korkmaz’s take may be clouded by both recency and patriotic biases. But on the other hand, the seven-year NBA veteran didn’t need to compare Sengun to Embiid when he was simply asked to share what it was like playing with the Rockets star. Korkmaz felt compelled enough by Sengun’s performance on Tuesday to do so.
Alperen Sengun became the youngest player ever to record a triple-double in EuroBasket history 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) September 9, 2025
🇹🇷 19 PTS
🇹🇷 12 REB
🇹🇷 10 AST@TBF advances to the @EuroBasket semis for the 1st time since '01!
Watch all the EuroBasket action live on Courtside 1891: https://t.co/fPC0xWqtRn pic.twitter.com/Wcd1QNRkyB
Korkmaz had a front-row seat to Embiid’s MVP campaign during the 2022-23 season with the 76ers. The Cameroonian big man averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest across 66 games that year. It’s hard to imagine Sengun being able to post such numbers anytime soon.
However, Embiid has missed 106 games over the last two seasons and may not be fully healthy heading into his 10th Sixers season. With Sengun primed to make another leap next season, his star may very well outshine Embiid’s in the years to come.
