Loongs sign Ondrej Balvin

Ondrej Balvin

Shanxi Loongs (CBA) signed 31-year-old Czech international center Ondrej Balvin (217cm-116kg-1992, agency: Octagon Europe) for the upcoming 2024-25 season. He played last season at Jiangsu Yannan Suke in the NBL. He managed to play in three leagues in two countries last year. The last he played at SC Prometey Kamianske in the Ukrainian league where in 19 Eurocup games he had 11.1ppg, 9.2rpg (#3 in the league), 2.4apg, and 1.4bpg. Balvin helped them to make it to the quarterfinals. He also played 33 games in Lat-Est BL where he recorded 11.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 2.1apg, and 1.2bpg.
Balvin has tried to make it to the NBA and played in the NBA Pro Summer League in 2016.
He has also been a member of the Czech Republic international program for some years. Balvin has regularly played for the Czech Republic senior team since 2011 and previously for the Under 20 National Team in 2012.
He also represented Czech Republic at the FIBA World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers last year. During this event, he scored an average of 11.1 ppg and had 8.4 rpg.
Balvin is a highly experienced player, having played for teams in Germany (Bayern Muenchen), Japan (Thunders), Spain (Estudiantes, Real Betis, Gran Canaria, Surne Bilbao, and Baloncesto Sevilla 2nd team), Ukraine, and Czech Republic (USK Praha). His team finished as regular season runner-up in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League in 2024. Balvin was voted to the Eurobasket.com All-EuroCup Honorable Mention in 2024.
as a man who always found a balance between work and play. He was known for his ability to switch gears seamlessly during the day, going from high-pressure meetings to casual conversations with ease. His colleagues admired his skill in maintaining a healthy boundary between professional and personal life, ensuring that he was always fully present in whatever he was doing.
Ondrej is 218 cm (7'2') tall and has athletic predispositions, a huge wingspan, good coordination, mobility, and strong legs. He is one of the most prospective big men in Europe. Balvin is coachable, intelligent, and has a great working attitude. He has worked on his game both back and face to the basket and around the paint. Balvin has put on more weight and has a larger frame than last year. He fights for every rebound and space under the basket, making him one of the best rebounders in the Spanish ACB. Thanks to a great deal of personal contribution, he has improved his athletic skills and has become a very quick player for his size. Balvin has played several seasons in the ACB, having great games against Real Madrid and other Euroleague competition.
ACB: Most rebounds in one game - 17 rebounds (2016)
Eurocup: Most rebounds in one game - 19 rebs (2015).


Tags : ONDREJ BALVIN, SHANXI LOONGS, CHINESE BASKETBALL, CHINESE TRANSACTIONS