The Meralco cager immediately showed regret after the scuffle.
Meralco Bolts swingman Allein Maliksi has apologized for his actions in the choking incident involving him and Converge FiberXers big man Barkley Eboña in their overtime game on Friday.
The two-time PBA All-Star issued his apology via Instagram on Saturday morning.
“I apologize to the viewers, PBA fans, and to the @convergefiberxers team especially to @kevbarkley Eboña for the misbehavior that I showed yesterday during the heated moments of the game last night,” said Maliksi.
“None of my actions are excusable,” he added.
The remorseful Maliksi also said that “this incident serves as a learning” for him to be better.
The Bolts, as an organization, also released a statement regarding the actions of Maliksi.
“While we stand by Allein, a teammate of good character, we also acknowledge that reacting to provocation does not reflect the culture we have built.”
The franchise, however, made it clear that Maliksi only “placed his hand near the neck” of Eboña.
“No pressure was applied and Allein held himself back from further action until they were separated.”
"We apologize to our fans and thank those who have expressed concern for Allein," the franchise said further.
The PBA brass has yet to issue a statement on what’s next for Maliksi, but a similar incident from the past may provide some insight.
In a 2013 game between the Petron Blaze Boosters (now San Miguel Beermen) and Alaska Aces, a heated argument led to Petron import Renaldo Balkman choking his teammate, Arwind Santos.
Then-PBA commissioner Chito Salud slapped Balkman with a lifetime ban from the PBA, on top of a P250,000 fine.
The ban lasted for five years, until PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, who took office in 2018, lifted it in that same year. The decision was backed by both Salud and Santos, according to the PBA honcho.
The Balkman-Santos and Maliksi-Eboña incidents, however, have stark differences in context. For one, Balkman and Santos were teammates. Maliksi was also seen during the game, right after the incident, seemingly regretting the deed he just committed.
For now, Meralco, Converge, and the fans await the commissioner's decision.