After all the speculation and clamor, Renaldo Balkman is returning to the San Miguel Beermen.
The 33-year-old will replace the underperforming Troy Gillenwater as the Beermen’s reinforcement for the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, as the defending champions have gone winless in their first two assignments.
The Beermen faithful have been calling for Balkman’s return to San Miguel and to the PBA ever since he came back to the Philippines this year to fulfill his duties as a World Import for Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League.
The clamor grew when the PBA lifted the lifetime ban he was slapped with back in 2013, and it grew even bigger when the Puerto Rican played a huge role in Alab’s playoff run, which was punctuated by a championship finish earlier this May.
The public demand reached levels of hysteria just recently, when Gillenwater could not prove himself worthy of being the Beermen’s import. In two games, the American cager averaged just 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.
Gillenwater’s last game happened to be last Sunday at the Ynares Center against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. It was a frustrating night for him and his team, as he was ejected in the first half after nudging a game official.
That game made Beermen coaches and officials feel that it was time to find Gillenwater’s replacement.
Balkman will definitely be a solid addition to the Beermen. Moreover, he might not find it hard to jell with them, as he was already teammates with the majority of San Miguel’s current players when he played for Petron Blaze Boosters in 2013.
The former New York Knick has spent some time before with the likes of reigning four-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Chico Lanete, and of course, Arwind Santos.
Balkman is expected to make his debut on Saturday, May 19, against the Alaska Aces in Dumaguete City.
