MANILA, Philippines – The Pilipinas Super League (PSL) punished Boracay player Mac Cardona on Saturday, December 3, for slamming a chair and flashing the middle finger in their 111-96 loss to Caloocan last Thursday in San Juan.

Cardona will serve a one-game suspension and pay a P10,000 fine for his unsportsmanlike behavior, as decided by PSL commissioner Marc Pingris, head of basketball operations Leo Isaac, and technical head Rey Canete.

The former PBA veteran lost his cool on the bench with 4:20 minutes left after his teammate Johnsherick Estrada got whistled for a traveling violation with the Islanders trailing 88-97.

He appeared to break a monobloc chair after slamming it on the court, hurled expletives at the officials, and flashed them the middle finger.

The referees only issued a warning to Boracay for improper bench decorum as Cardona managed to stay in the game, finishing with 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.

But the PSL eventually dropped the hammer on Cardona after “further review and investigation.”

“[O]ur technical committee has decided to penalize Mac Cardona for damage to property, blatant disrespectful actions that are detrimental to the league, and conduct unbecoming of a professional athlete,” the PSL wrote in a memo.

Cardona, a former La Salle star in the UAAP, continues to get opportunities to play in local leagues despite figuring in several off-court troubles the past few years.

He landed in jail in 2018 for stabbing his former partner and got arrested again in 2021 for serious physical injuries after being involved in a brawl in Taguig.

The Islanders will miss the production of Cardona as they shoot for their first PSL win against the Manila CityStars at the Bren Z Guiao Convention Center in Pampanga on Saturday.

Cardona is averaging 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal through two games. – Rappler.com