Updated Feb. 9, 2026, 8:27 a.m. CT
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun apologized to an NBA official for his actions late in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
Sengun was ejected from the game after calling Jenna Reneau “a b—-” during the fourth quarter. The exchange, in which Sengun used that word multiple times, quickly went viral on social media.
Sengun, a 2026 NBA All-Star, made his first public comments on the situation following Saturday’s win at Oklahoma City. In those comments, which are transcribed below, the 23-year-old acknowledged immaturity on his part and said he apologized to Reneau after the game.
That was immature by me. That was just heat of the moment, and I said some stuff I shouldn’t say. But I felt bad about it, and right after the game, I went to the (referee’s) locker room, and I shook her hand and apologized to her.
It was immature by me, and I should know better. It’s just a game, and sometimes you can’t control yourself. But I fixed it, and I went to the locker room and apologized. I shook her hand, and said that would never happen again. It just happened in the heat of the moment. And she understood.
The exchange occurred when Sengun didn’t get a call upon driving to the basket. Though Houston entered the game as a favorite, the Rockets trailed by more than 20 points at the time, which likely added to the sense of frustration.
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But the Turkish big man — who just learned English a few years ago — knows he crossed a line, and he’s vowing that it won’t happen again.
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