Baltazar slapped with 2-year ban

Justine Baltazar has been suspended by the Korean Basketball League for two seasons following his botched stint with the Seoul Samsung Thunders.

In a report by Korean news outlet Jumpball, the former De La Salle University star was found to have violated his contract with the Thunders and will be suspended until the 2025 season following a meeting by the KBL finance committee.

The Koreans asserted that the 6-foot-9 Baltazar had no intention of flying to Korea to honor his contract after failing to apply for a visa to see action for the Thunders.

Baltazar was supposed to see action for the Thunders but failed to show up before the player registration deadline on 1 February as he was still tied up with the Strong Group Realty that was campaigning in the 32nd Dubai International Basketball Championships.

Baltazar and Filipinos, however, were booted out in the quarterfinals of the Dubai tourney.

The Koreans tried to reach out but they lost their contact to Baltazar that prompted them to terminate his contract and elevate the case before the KBL finance committee.

Seoul Samsung Thunders were having a tough time hiring Asian imports.

Their first choice in William Navarro failed to get his clearance from his mother team in the Philippine Basketball Association in NorthPort while Filipino-American Christian David suffered an injury and was released last December.

Now, they failed to bring in Baltazar, who reportedly didn't apply for a Korean visa despite receiving the necessary documents in advance.