Second-year NBA center Alperen Sengun was in the starting lineup for his Houston Rockets during Monday night’s home game versus Sacramento. But it would be understandable if his mind was elsewhere at times, and especially in the hours leading up to tipoff.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck at 4:17 a.m. local time in the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, about 20 miles from Gaziantep. Many aftershocks followed, according to authorities, and hours later, a 7.5 magnitude quake struck more than 60 miles away.
The death toll along the Turkish-Syrian border surged to 3,400 and is still rising, as of late Monday. Tens of thousands more are injured. More information is available at usatoday.com.
“The pain we experience is indescribable,” Sengun tweeted. “My prayers, my heart is with our citizens who were affected by the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş… R.I.P. to those who lost their lives, I wish a speedy recovery to the injureds. #PrayForTurkey”
The pain we experience is indescribable. My prayers, my heart is with our citizens who were affected by the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş… R.I.P. to those who lost their lives, I wish a speedy recovery to the injureds. #PrayForTurkey
— Alperen (@alperennsengun) February 6, 2023
Just 20 years old, Sengun is quickly making a name for himself in professional basketball, and he’ll take part in the NBA’s Rising Stars event later this month during All-Star Weekend.
But for the time being, he’s balancing a breakout season on the court with the sobering reality of a dire situation back home.
