Updated Feb. 9, 2026, 8:27 a.m. CT<\/p>\n
Houston Rockets<\/a> center Alperen Sengun apologized to an NBA official for his actions late in Wednesday\u2019s blowout loss<\/a> to the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n Sengun was ejected from the game after calling Jenna Reneau \u201ca b\u2014-\u201d\u00a0during the fourth quarter. The exchange, in which Sengun used that word multiple times, quickly went viral<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n Sengun, a 2026 NBA All-Star<\/a>, made his first public comments on the situation following Saturday\u2019s win<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n That was immature by me. That was just heat of the moment, and I said some stuff I shouldn\u2019t say. But I felt bad about it, and right after the game, I went to the (referee\u2019s) locker room, and I shook her hand and apologized to her.<\/p>\n It was immature by me, and I should know better. It\u2019s just a game, and sometimes you can\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n The exchange occurred when Sengun didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n But the Turkish big man \u2014 who just learned English a few years ago<\/a> \u2014 knows he crossed a line, and he\u2019s vowing that it won\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n