Watch former NBA player Renaldo Balkman choke a teammate [Video]
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Former NBA player Renaldo Balkman, previously best known for his long dreadlocks and athletic ability while playing for the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets, has apologized for choking a teammate during a game with his new club in the Philippine Basketball Assn.
Balkman, a 28-year-old forward with the Petron Blaze Boosters, first shoved in the chest and then grabbed the neck of teammate Arwin Santos, who was attempting to calm down Balkman after he had argued with referees for nearly a minute about why a foul wasn’t called when he shot an airball in a game against the Alaska Aces.
The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Balkman had already pushed away an assistant coach and a couple of other teammates before Santos tried to intervene. The two exchanged shoves before Balkman wrapped his hands around Santos’ neck.
After a cooling-off period in the locker room, where the team held a private meeting, Balkman sent out a series of apologies on Twitter.
“I wld like to apologize to the fans, Petron Blaze, my teammates, the PBA and especially @tubidronald71 and @Arwind029,” he tweeted, adding, “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.”
The Philippine Basketball Assn. has set a meeting with Balkman for Monday, when disciplinary action is likely.
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