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| Ex-NBA Player Banned: Renaldo Balkman Choked Teammate |
According to a Reuters report, Balkman placed his hands around his teammate Arwind Santos’ neck as Santos tried to restrain Balkman’s anger over a disputed call.
In addition to the lifetime ban, the report states that Balkman was fined the equivalent of $6,100 over the choking.
As seen in the video of the incident below, Balkman also shoved teammates and coaches during his outburst:
Balkman and Santos were both playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters against the Alaska Aces. The Aces went on to win the game, 83 to 73.
Balkman has apologized for his actions via his Twitter account. He apologized specifically to Santos and said that he respects the Philippine Basketball Association’s decision:
Renaldo Balkman tweets the following on his Twitter:
"I wld like to apologize to the fans, Petron Blaze, my teammates, the PBA and especially @tubidronald71 and @Arwind029"
"I got caught up in the moment of a very intense game.I respect @Arwind029 as a person & player.I am proud to be part of @PetronBlaze fam."
"This was unintentional towards @arwindsotnas, I am a team player who always has the best interest of the team at heart."
"I accept all responsibilities for my actions while playing an intense game, I have truly enjoyed my time here playing in the Philippines"
"I would like to apologize to @arwindsotnas a person who I truly respect and would never intentionally harm, my actions were irresponsible"
"I respect the Philippine Basketball Association and @PetronBlaze Organization, this situation will never happen again…its a lesson learned"
"I would personally like to thank my fans and teammates who have shown me so much support during this time"