The Houston Rockets’ rebuild has leaned on emotional edge all season. Against Boston, that intensity boiled over. The night slipped fast, and so did control. One heated moment turned a routine whistle into a viral flashpoint.
What followed wasn’t just another tech. It was a raw exchange that ripped across timelines within minutes. The Alperen Şengün ejection became the story of the game, and the words behind it were uglier than the box score.
What Alperen Şengün Said to the Ref That Immediately Got Him Ejected in a Heated Moment
Houston was already drowning when the fourth quarter hit. Down big and Possessions slipping away. With six minutes left, the 23-year-old Rockets center drove into traffic, lost the ball near the baseline, and didn’t get the foul he wanted. Referee Jenna Reneau ruled the Celtics’ ball. The frustration snapped right there. According to multiple viral clips and reports from RTNBA and Larry Brown Sports, the exchange crossed a line and triggered an instant ejection.
Alperen Şengün (captured on court audio, per RTNBA and LegendZ):
“He’s up on me… you a b****! F****** b****.”
Jaylen Brown:
“Woah! Hey, get him out of here!”Referee Jenna Reneau:
“He can’t call me that, no!”
What Alperen Sengun said to the ref that lead to his ejection:
Sengun: “He’s up on me.. you a b****! F****** b****”
Jaylen Brown: “Woah! Hey, get him out of here!”
Ref: “He can’t call me that, no!”
h/t @legendz_prod pic.twitter.com/fLZKrXGkzV
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) February 7, 2026
The outburst didn’t stop at one line. As the Turkish big man turned upcourt and lip-reading breakdowns suggested a second profane insult was directed at Reneau before the ejection was even processed. while heading toward the locker room moments later, he appeared to repeat it again. The official’s reaction was immediate. There was no warning, and straight to the locker room.
Houston was honoring National Girls and Women in Sports Day that night. The optics were brutal. A cornerstone player is melting down at a female official on a night built around inclusion. Inside the building, teammates tried to cool it down. The clip tormented social feeds. The Alperen Şengün ejection wasn’t framed as a bad call reaction. It became a character moment.
The damage was real on the court. The 6-foot-11 center finished with 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting as the Rockets lost 114–93. It was not the numbers that captured attention; it was the words that left a lasting impact.
How the 23-year-old responds now will shape how this moment ages. The league pushes respect hard. Officials get zero slack for personal abuse. If the apology comes fast and the focus snaps back to hoops, this becomes a lesson. If not, the Alperen Şengün ejection turns into a label.
