Kendrick Perkins commits to handing “Baby Jokic” moniker to $185M rising star 

Amid his early career ascension, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun has elicited comparisons to three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Sengun has increasingly been dubbed "Baby Jokic," with the nickname catching on league-wide. Among the latest to embrace the moniker is ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, who commended the rising star's recent play.

On Tuesday, Houston secured a 117-111 NBA Cup West Group A overtime road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the victory, the Rockets (13-6) clinched their group (3-0) and earned a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

Sengun recorded his third triple-double this season with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, and his well-rounded play seemingly caught Perkins' eye.

After the contest, the 2008 NBA champion took to X/Twitter and underscored his plan to adopt Sengun's "Baby Jokic" designation.

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"I'mma start calling Sengun 'Baby Jokic.' That young man is (a) problem!!!" Perkins wrote.

Jokic is widely heralded as one of the NBA's best playmaking big men ever. He ranks fourth on the league's all-time triple-double leaderboard and first among centers (137).

Meanwhile, Sengun is considered one of the top up-and-coming playmaking bigs. Per StatMamba, with Tuesday's triple-double, the 22-year-old became the youngest center in NBA history to amass seven career triple-doubles.

The Rockets appear confident in Sengun's continued development, as they awarded him a five-year, $185 million rookie-scale contract extension last month. Nevertheless, he has a long way to go before coming close to approaching Jokic's career accolades.

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Alperen Sengun on being called "Baby Jokic"

In January, Alperen Sengun weighed in on his "Baby Jokic" nickname. The fourth-year big man noted that he is fine with fans and pundits using the moniker early in his career.

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"I mean, no. Not for now. I am still young, but after some point, yeah," Sengun said when asked on the podcast formerly known as "The Old Man and the Three" if the designation bothers him (Timestamp: 2:22). "They mean my game is similar to (Jokic). Is it true, though? We kind of play the same game."

However, Sengun added that the nickname will no longer suit him once he reaches his prime.

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"Of course, when (Jokic's) gotta retire or something, when he gets old, and I am gonna be at some age, I don't want people (to call) me 'Baby Jokic,'" Sengun said. "Right now, it's fine. I'm like a baby. But when I grow up, I don't wanna hear that."

Given Sengun's age, the moniker should stick for at least a few more seasons before becoming obsolete.

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