Sengun responds to rumors of discord: I never argued with Durant, and I understand Udoka getting angry at me

On July 28, Beijing time, Rockets center Sengun recently gave an interview to Turkish media to clarify rumors of a rift between himself and teammate Kevin Durant as well as head coach Ime Udoka.

Discussing his chemistry with Durant, Sengun said: "I don't know where this idea came from. KD and I have never argued—not once. We've never raised our voices at each other. We always communicate, and we talk a lot after games, especially after losses. We'll discuss: 'Where exactly did we go wrong?' I often ask him: 'What adjustments do we need to make? Where do you think the turnovers came from today? Why didn't the play work?' I ask, and he gives his honest opinion. These rumors keep popping up. But like I said, all of us hate losing, and our emotions are written all over our faces during games. You can see it on KD's face, on my face, and on Udoka's face."

"KD has a huge fan base. Here's how I see it: my fans will never say negative things about me—I can tell. Some games I play poorly, and I know it. But fans tend to blame others instinctively. However, I'm not that kind of person. I'm used to looking at my own problems first. I don't feel better by shifting blame to others. I don't like that kind of excuse. If you keep passing the buck, you'll never improve."

When discussing Durant's recurring injuries in the playoffs, Sengun believes the team had terrible luck. He also strongly criticized the various narratives online surrounding the team that finished 52-30.

"After we kept losing last season, a narrative slowly formed online: every time we lost, someone had to be the scapegoat," Sengun said. "The comments were always: 'Blame Sengun for the loss, blame KD, Amen played terribly, Udoka is a bad coach.' The noise never stopped. But at the end of the day, it's just a basketball game. No one can win every time."

"Every time we lose, people outside try to attack us, magnify every tiny issue, and deliberately stir up internal conflict. Some people use the coach's words to attack me. There are so many people waiting for us to fail, you know? That's also why I deleted my social media accounts. After going through a series of things, I realized: the online environment is really dangerous. It constantly drains your energy, and can even make you start doubting yourself, wondering: Could these baseless rumors actually be true? Too many absurd rumors have been born online."

Sengun gave a typical example: Udoka's post-game comments about Sengun's pick-and-roll defense sparked a storm on social media.

"When I first saw the report from that post-game press conference, Udoka's words didn't hurt or upset me at all," Sengun said. "He and I have a good personal relationship. I understood what he really meant, so I didn't take it to heart. His true thought was: even if I become the best defensive player in the league five years from now, opponents will still scheme against me. That's how he's always looked at things since he came to coach in Houston."

"That game was a tough loss, and the atmosphere was already tense after the game. The reporter asked that question at a sensitive moment. He was a bit frustrated and said those words. Because I know him personally, I never misunderstood his intention. But unfortunately, social media deliberately twisted the narrative in a negative direction."

Finally, discussing Udoka, Sengun said that as a core player on the team, he openly accepts the higher expectations from the outside. He said: "I like this kind of pressure. To me, pressure means the coach has high hopes for me. He told me: 'I'm going to be hard on you and get angry at you because I know your potential. I demand this of you because I expect you to be the best.' This kind of expectation pushes you forward. Honestly, it keeps making me stronger."

ESPN previously reported that after last season, the Rockets' front office had several "serious, deep conversations" with Sengun. The Turkish star said he fully understands that kind of communication. Advanced statistics show that compared to the 2024-25 season, Sengun's defensive efficiency declined noticeably in the 2025-26 season.