76ers rookie Labaron Philon Jr. goes viral for making bold Alperen Sengun statement

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The Philadelphia 76ers selected Labaron Philon Jr. as the 22nd overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft. He is projected to be a key contributor in the future, as he has the talent to become a fantastic player for his new team.

Aside from his upside as a player, it seems Philon has also caught the attention of fans from outside the 76ers. That involves the Houston Rockets because of something Philon said in a recent interview.

Labaron Philon Jr. catches flak because of recent Alperen Sengun comments

For the past few years, Rockets center Alperen Sengun has been on the rise. He became an All-Star big man, but unfortunately for him, that also comes with higher expectations.

With Kevin Durant on the roster, Sengun needed to be a star-level player who could assist Durant in the quest for a championship. That was not the case because Sengun might be a budding star, but he also has plenty of holes in his game.

MORE: Labaron Philon Jr. is ready to play an important role for the 76ers moving forward

As part of the lead-up to the NBA Draft, most prospects were interviewed. With the NBA 2K League, Philon was quite candid about Sengun and what he has seen on social media.

"Sengun for sure. I'd be on TikTok a lot, if you are on there, they be saying he plays like he got a refrigerator on his back," Philon said in his NBA 2K League interview.

Considering Philon has not logged a single NBA minute yet, it is natural for Rockets fans to be a bit angry with his comments. However, they should also expect Sengun to fight back on these comments when the NBA season rolls around.

Philon will be a rookie looking to prove himself, which is quite evident with his choice of Sengun to be the player whose ankles he will try to break with a good crossover. Moving forward, it is up to Sengun and the Rockets to prove the rookie wrong.