The Houston Rockets played against the Dallas Mavericks in the American Airlines Center tonight. The two teams fought for a spot in the knockout stages of the inaugural in-season tournament. Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki was also present in the arena, but this time he was in his new role as a color analyst.

Houston’s 21-year-old Center Alperen Sengun paid homage to the Mavs legend while he was calling the game. Nowitzki was in awe of Sengun’s ultimate tribute.

Dirk Nowitzki reacts to Alperen Sengun’s tribute

Alperen Sengun opened his scoring against the Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki’s iconic one-legged fadeaway. Dirk used that shot throughout his career, and it became his signature move. After witnessing the 21-year-old’s version of the move, Dirk said, “I heard he’s been working on that. Looks pretty good.” The Mavs legend admired the shot even more after he watched the replay, “Ohhh, that’s beautiful.” Sengun has revealed in the past that he watches Nowitzki’s game a lot, and he worked on his one-legged fadeaway during the off-season.

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It is understandable why Sengun emulated Dirk Nowitzki and has picked up moves from his arsenal. Sengun and Dirk have a similar frame and a very similar playing style. Sengun is one inch shorter than the Mavericks legend, who stands at 7 feet. Dirk relied heavily on his shooting ability to score most of his points, as he was not as athletic as the other Bigs in the league. His one-legged fadeaway was nearly unguardable, as no defender could match the 7-footer’s wingspan while he was fading away from the basket. Sengun has that same advantage over defenders at his height. Even though Sengun is not as efficient as Dirk on his shot, the addition of the one-legged fadeaway creates another threat for the defenders.

Alperen Sengun is turning the Houston Rockets franchise around

The Houston Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the league since the departure of James Harden. They have missed the last three playoffs and ranked 14th in the Western Conference standings last season. But the emergence of Alperen Sengun this season has turned the Rockets franchise around. The 21-year-old is leading the Rockets in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. He has taken a giant leap from his sophomore year, averaging 20.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.

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Sengun has led the Rockets to an 8-6 start, which is much better than their last season’s performance. The Houston Rockets realize they have a future superstar in their grasp and will continue to develop his talent as the years go by. If Sengun continues his incredible form, he might even lead the Rockets to the playoffs this year.

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