It happened five days ago, but the controversy is still reverberating around the NBA. Alperen Sengun, a star for the Houston Rockets, called a female referee a “bitch” on three separate occasions during a game against the Boston Celtics, which led to his ejection after receiving two technical fouls.
The Turkish center, frustrated by the loss (114–93), later reflected on his mistake and went to apologize to the official, as he revealed while also issuing a public apology.
“It was immature of me,” Sengun admitted Saturday after Houston’s win in Oklahoma City (112–106). “It was just in the moment. I said things I shouldn’t have said, and I feel bad about it,” added the 23-year-old big man.
“Sometimes you can’t control yourself, but I should have known better. I fixed it, then I went to the locker room and apologized. I shook her hand and told her it wouldn’t happen again. It was just a heated moment. She understood, and we ended things on good terms,” the Turk also explained.
The NBA announced yesterday that Sengun will replace the injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in next weekend’s NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, a decision that has sparked heavy criticism on social media despite the Turk’s sincere apologies.