I’m from Bandırma, Turkey. Most of you probably don’t know where it is. However, I was fortunate enough to watch Alperen Şengün when he was a teenager. He was a part of the youth academy of Banvit, which was one of the most formidable academies at the time. The U16 team completely dominated the league, and Alperen emerged as the leader of that team. They lost just one game throughout the entire season and convincingly won the final match against Anadolu Efes, securing the championship title. Even at that time, Alperen showcased his skills as a prominent big man and was named MVP. It’s worth mentioning that many players from that team have now become significant figures in the local league as well.

In the following season, Alperen and several others transitioned to regular players on the main roster, with Alperen often being part of the starting five at the age of 17. However, the outbreak of the pandemic disrupted the league, preventing its completion. Unfortunately, Banvit, once a competitive club in both the local league and European tournaments, had to cease operations due to financial difficulties. During his brief tenure in the Banvit main roster, Alperen already displayed his promising abilities as a big man.

Seeing him perform as an NBA star brings me immense joy because the entire audience in Bandırma anticipated this outcome.