Rockets star’s explicit outburst toward female referee prompts apology
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Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun was ejected from Wednesday night’s loss to the Boston Celtics after he appeared to call a female referee a “b***h” during the game.
Sengun appeared to use explicit words toward Jenna Reneau after she said the ball went out of bounds while she was trying to establish position in the paint. He addressed comments after the Rockets’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
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Rockets center Alperen Sengun reacts after realizing he was being ejected from the game against Boston in Houston, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
He said he apologized to Reneau.
“Sometimes you can’t control yourself, but I should have known better,” he said. “But I fixed it, and then I went to the locker room and apologized. I shook her hand and told her that would never happen again. It just happened in the heat of the moment and she understood, and it was good for both sides.”
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Rockets center Alperen Sengun is ejected from Boston’s game in Houston on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
It is unclear whether Sengun will face discipline from the league. On Sunday, he was announced as a replacement in the All-Star Game. He and Kevin Durant were the Houston players selected for the game.
He has started 44 games this season for Houston and is averaging 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and a block per game. It will be the second time in his career that he will be an All-Star.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun shoots against Thunder center Chet Holmgren on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)
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The Rockets are 32-19 this season after a 112-106 win over the Thunder. Houston is in fourth place in the Western Conference, one game behind the Denver Nuggets for third place and Oklahoma City seven games behind.
The News contributed to this report.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor at News Digital.