PBA stands firm on Balkman

Although there is a possibility that sometime in the future, Renaldo Balkman may be allowed to return to play in the PBA, the league is standing firm on its ban with no door left open at the moment. Even as the sanction isn’t described as a “lifetime” ban, the PBA is affirming the blacklisting.

PBA special assistant to the commissioner Willy Marcial said in his opinion, there may be a way for Balkman to come back but that’s looking way ahead into the future. It’s not a consideration at this time. Marcial said there have been instances where periods of suspension were shortened because of good behavior, public apology, community service and other acts of remorse. If Balkman displays a turnaround in his temperament, he could apply for a reinstatement in one, two or three years but that’s not in the foreseeable horizon.

“It’s not a PBA position, just my opinion that maybe, sometime in the future, Balkman could reapply if he shows good behavior but that, of course, will be subject to review in light of his ban,” said Marcial. “There is no backtracking in what Commissioner (Chito) Salud handed down – the ban stays and that’s it.”

There were other options considered before meting out Balkman’s sanctions. A huge fine of P500,000 with a suspension of one, two or three games was discussed. Another option was for Balkman to commit to several hours of community service aside from the fine and suspension. But in the end, Salud dropped the axe because of Balkman’s blatant show of unsportsmanlike conduct and disrespect for authority, teammates and fans. Besides, there was a real danger of Balkman exploding again based on his previous history of outbursts in the NBA and the FIBA Tournament of the Americas.

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Marcial explained that if the penalty involved a suspension and not a ban, Balkman’s team wouldn’t be allowed to hire an interim replacement while serving out his sentence, meaning it will play with a severe handicap during the absence. Under usual PBA rules, a team is allowed up to a two-game grace period to play without an import in a reinforced conference. Starting the third game, an importless team is fined P50,000. In the case of Petron, the ban meant it could hire an immediate replacement.

In an interview before the incident, Balkman never showed signs of an uncontrollable temper. He spoke of defending Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant in the NBA and how the Black Mamba torched him for a four-point play. “It happened last season in L. A. and we were matched up against each other, one-on-one,” he said. “The shot clock was going down and he hit a three. Worse, the referees called a foul on me so Kobe had a four-point play although I never touched him.” The four-point play came late in the third period and the Lakers went on to win, 99-82, on Dec. 29, 2011. Bryant finished with 28 points while Balkman wound up with three points, all on free throws, and three rebounds in 10 minutes.

Balkman said his closest NBA friends are Carmelo Anthony, J. R. Smith and Kenyon Martin. “K-Mart’s a real cool guy, I remember once before a game, he laid out about 40 pairs of shoes then chose which one to play in,” he said. “Nobody could touch those shoes. I learned a lot about the game from him just like from Allen Iverson who’s not as wild as he’s sometimes made out to be. He’s a family-oriented guy. Jeremy Lin was my teammate, too. He’s quiet, calm, collected. He got the opportunity to play with New York from the D-League and made the most of it. Melo’s a real smart player, a great guy and extremely talented.”

Balkman said he’s excited for Filipino fans who’ll get the chance to watch two NBA teams, Houston and Indiana, play at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 10. “It’s great for the kids,” he said. “Now, they can see live the stars they watch on TV. It’s great for the NBA to bring the game to different parts of the world. I had a chance to play with Denver in a preseason game in China. It’s great for the players, too, to reach out to the fans.”

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Balkman brought over to Manila his buddy and personal chef Tim Brooks who used to work with Baltimore Ravens football star Ray Lewis. Balkman doesn’t eat seafood, swearing off it as a kid when some of his relatives went down with an allergy from shellfish. He eats a steak about once a week and his usual diet consists of chicken, vegetables like broccoli, fruits like mango and watermelon and desserts like vanilla ice cream and cupcakes.  

As for his hairstyle, Balkman said he hasn’t been to a barber in 10 years. He wears dreadlocks.   Balkman has a variety of monikers. The New York Knicks media guidebook mentioned “Taz” (for Tazmanian Devil), “Kool” and “Plastic Man” as some of his nicknames. In the PBA, his moniker was Balkmanimal. He likened himself to the King of the Jungle because “I’ve got a lion’s heart.”

Balkman went to three different high schools – Armwood, Blake and Laurinburg – before enrolling at the University of South Carolina. He hopes to someday return to the NBA where he played six years and his ultimate dream is to play even just one game in the Olympics. Balkman’s way to the Olympics is with the Puerto Rican national team. His mother is Puerto Rican and he has played for Puerto Rico in past FIBA competitions. But the PBA sanctions put a severe crimp in his future plans.