IT was a reunion of sorts between former New York Knicks as Renaldo Balkman and Henry Walker crossed paths on Wednesday when San Miguel battled Blackwater in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
But like the professionals that they are, it was all business for the two.
“We played against each other before. He knows my game and I know his game so we came out and play,” said Balkman.
Walker won the one-on-one matchup after posting 26 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists against Balkman’s 12, eight, and four.
It was the Puerto Rican Balkman, however, who had the last laugh as the Beermen took the 115-106 win to formalize his side’s entry to the playoffs, while also sending the Elite out on a whimper.
Brothers will remain brothers though, and even after the game, Walker expressed delight seeing his former teammate get this redemption tour of his with San Miguel.
“I'm so proud of Balkman. Everything that happened before, him having that mindset and doing all the things necessary to show that he deserved another chance, it's great to see,” he said.
“He's always been a good friend of mine. He's a great competitor. I'm just happy to see him back doing what he loves.”
Walker could attest how much Balkman has improved, not just as a player but also as a person, as evidenced by the stupedous run the latter is having with the Beermen.
“You can see he's a changed guy. Everybody has situations in their life where they can use better judgement. We’re human, right? It just so happened that his moment was broadcasted for everybody to see. You can't just judge him by that one incident. What he's done is he's manned up and he's owned up to his responsibility and he's doing big things for that team now.”
“With him playing the way he's been playing, I’m really happy for him.”
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