NBA

Philippines bans Balkman for life

Former Knick Renaldo Balkman was banned from the Philippines’ professional basketball league for life after choking a teammate in the middle of a game, the association’s commissioner said yesterday.

Balkman, who played four seasons with the Knicks and two with the Nuggets, also was fined $6,100 for the incident.

Balkman, 28, who was playing with the PBA’s Petron Blaze Boosters on Friday, was frustrated by a referee’s call as his team was losing to the Alaska Aces and angrily shoved aside one of his coaches.

When teammates tried to pacify him, Balkman pushed them away and grabbed his own team captain, Arwind Santos, by the neck before other players physically restrained him. The Boosters lost the game 73-83.

Balkman, who signed with Petron in December, apologized for his outburst.