Alperen Sengun sorry for sexist remark at female official

OKLAHOMA CITY — Houston Rockets star center Alperen Sengun expressed regret for his inappropriate remarks towards a female referee, referring to her derogatorily during a game earlier this week. He stated that he apologized right after the match.

The incident led to Sengun’s ejection during Wednesday’s 114-93 defeat to the Boston Celtics and gained significant attention online, particularly after audio was amplified, making his insult to Jenna Reneau unmistakable.

“That was an immature response from me,” Sengun publicly addressed the matter for the first time following the Rockets’ 112-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. “It was a moment of frustration, and I said things I shouldn’t have, but I felt remorseful about it.”

Sengun received his ejection after voicing displeasure over a non-call during a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter of the game against the Celtics, where the Rockets were trailing by 25 points. He acknowledged that he let his frustrations impact his interaction with Reneau, who is in her inaugural season as an NBA officiating staff member.

In the win against the Thunder, Sengun recorded his second triple-double of the season with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. He indicated that he immediately went to the officials’ locker room to apologize to Reneau after the loss on Wednesday.

“In the heat of the moment, sometimes you lose control, but I should have acted differently,” Sengun reflected. “yet, I made amends. I went to the locker room, apologized, shook her hand, and assured her it wouldn’t happen again. It was just a misstep in the heat of competition. She appreciated the apology and everything was good between us.”