That should be enough of a backstory for you to appreciate this video of Balkman going from irate basketball player to all-out madman.
The video is of Friday's game between Balkman's Petron Blaze Boosters and the Alaska Aces in Philippine Basketball Association action.
Unfortunately, that action turned violent in the final moments.
Balkman goes up for a shot and misses, then pleads his case that he was fouled. So far, nothing newsworthy, because every NBA game features much of the same.
Things get a tad dicey, though, as the 28-year-old bumps the ref and then hits his arm as he tries to show him how he was fouled. That's pretty much the moment one coach thought, Yeah, I should probably go get him now.
That particular coach wasn't counting on being shoved, which quickly becomes the least egregious moment of the video.
The announcer adorably asks for someone to restrain Balkman—something that becomes clear is not going to happen. At least not without somebody getting their neck wrung.
As his fellow players try to calm him down, Balkman continues pushing against good sense, ending with him choking his teammate, Arwind Santos.
Well, no good athletic meltdown ever goes down without a subsequent and awkward apology.
Yahoo! Sports reports Balkman has since apologized to his team and will also have to meet with the commissioner’s office on Monday.
Balkman was also on the Spin.PH's Snow Badua podcast and offered the following:
It was in the heat of the moment, I was frustrated, I hate myself for what I did. Everybody sees me as a bad person. But, that’s not me, that’s not me. [...]
I am a professional, I am not supposed to do that. I already apologized to Arwind (Santos), his family and my teammates, including our bosses.
Everybody does something once in a life, they’re not supposed to do. At the time I blanked out and went at it. It’s my first time ever in my entire life to do that.
I have had some awful and thoroughly frustrating days before, but so far I've yet to choke anybody. That's not really a means to boast, but in light of this recent video, I will now pat myself on the back for never choking anyone.
We forgive, but that doesn't mean we have to forget. Thank you for your apology, Balkman. We can now move on.
But you let a simple basketball game destroy every last bit of your good sense. You went and choked a friend and teammate, and that will never change.
Not that you should worry, because most people seem to have forgotten all about Latrell Sprewell, so you should be fine.
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