Rockets' fourth-year center an icon in his home country, where Turkish fans and politicians support his career.

Nearing real stardom, Şengün reflects on Rockets' belief in him: "Whoever trusts me, or backs me up, I will take care of them all my life."

With the NBA trade deadline just a week away, the Houston Rockets will have to explore what moves can help them compete for an NBA Championship this season, but are they already there?

Michael Shapiro is a sports reporter for Chron, covering the Astros, Rockets, Texans and every team in town. Michael is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a noted fan of pull-up threes, wide-receiver passes and a good hot fudge sundae.

Jan 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center.

The Houston Rockets have made massive strides as a team ... their defensive prowess are also making improvements, especially Alperen Sengun. Sengun had concerns earlier in his career about defense ...

Amen Thompson had the clutch go-ahead bucket and Dillon Brooks made a franchise record-tying 10 3-pointers in the Rockets' win over the Celtics on Monday.

Boston nearly pulled off a great win, but fell for the seventh time this season after leading by at least 10 points.

Houston Rockets second-year forward Amen Thompson was selected for the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge on Tuesday, an unsurprising development for the 21-year-old who has become a league-wide sensation.

There is still time before the NBA trade deadline for the Rockets to go all in on a move that could deliver them a title.

In a league that requires playoff scars to survive the championship gauntlet of four playoff rounds, the Rockets have none, and any team that has been there before will reveal theirs in a seven-game series. Houston, more than any other team, is one piece away from serious title contention.

In a game that saw the Rockets take a 19-point lead, Cleveland was able to tie the contest. Darius Garland at the free throw line with the chance to tie the game with 1:51 left in the contest, a similar situation to Wednesday’s matchup with Houston. Instead of missing two, Garland sank them both at the charity stripe to bring the game even at 124.