Franco Balbi

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Franco Balbi

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| position = Point guard

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 190

| league = NBB

| team = Flamengo

| number = 6

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|8|21}}

| birth_place = Junín, Buenos Aires, Argentina

| draft_year = 2011

| career_start = 2006

| career_end =

| years1 = 2006–2009

| team1 = Ciclista Juninense

| years2 = 2009–2011

| team2 = Quimsa

| years3 = 2011

| team3 = San Martín de Corrientes

| years4 = 2011–2013

| team4 = Ciclista Juninense

| years5 = 2013–2016

| team5 = Argentino de Junín

| years6 = 2016–2018

| team6 = Ferro Carril

| years7 = 2018–2022

| team7 = Flamengo

| years8 = 2022–2024

| team8 = Boca Juniors

| years9 = 2024–

| team9 = Flamengo

| highlights = * FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (2022)

BCL Americas champion (2021)
All-BCL Americas First Team (2024)
2× NBB champion (2019, 2021)
All-NBB Team (2019)
NBB Best Foreign Player (2019)
Brazilian Super 8 Cup winner (2018)
Rio de Janeiro State champion (2018)
LNB All-Team (2017)
Argentine Cup winner (2009)

| medal_templates =

}}

Franco Nicolás Balbi (born August 21, 1989), is an Argentine professional basketball player who currently plays for Flamengo of Novo Basquete Brasil. At a height of {{convert|6|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} tall,[http://lnb.com.br/atletas/franco-nicolas-balbi/ Franco Nicolas Balbi Altura 1.88 {{in lang|pt}}.] he plays at the point guard position.

Professional career

Balbi started playing youth club basketball with Club Villa Belgrano, in the city of Junín, when he was 5. He also played with Los Indios de Junín at the youth level, before arriving at Ciclista Juninense, where he made his debut in Argentina's top-level league, the Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB), on January 14, 2007, against Regatas Corrientes. The following season, Ciclista Juninense got relegated, and had to play in Argentina's second division, the Torneo Nacional de Ascenso (TNA). Balbi turned into a key player on the team, including playing more minutes and having good games, which made Quimsa from Santiago del Estero, sign him up for the 2009–10 LNB season, marking his return to the Argentine first division.{{cite web|url=http://www.adjweb.com.ar/php-adj/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16357 |title=Franco Balbi presentado en Quimsa |publisher=djweb.com.ar |date= |accessdate=}} That same season, he suffered a severe injury that made him lose minutes the following season, and that ultimately led Quimsa to terminate his contract. He quickly managed to find a new club, San Martín de Corrientes,{{cite web|url=http://www.pickandroll.com.ar/noticias/00017386/san-martin-sumo-a-franco-balbi/ |title=San Martín sumó a Franco Balbi |publisher=pickandroll.com.ar |date=2011-01-04 |accessdate=2018-07-10}} which he helped achieve a league promotion to the Argentine first division, by finishing as runner-ups in the Torneo Nacional de Ascenso (TNA).

In the following season, he returned to Ciclista Juninense, to play in the second division.{{cite web|url=http://www.pickandroll.com.ar/noticias/00017332/franco-balbi-vuelve-a-ciclista/ |title=Franco Balbi vuelve a Ciclista |publisher=pickandroll.com.ar |date=2010-12-24 |accessdate=2018-07-10}} After two good seasons, he signed with the club's local rivals, Argentino de Junín, for the 2013–14 LNB season, were he would return to play under his first professional head coach, Adrián Capelli.

With Argentino de Junín, he played in both the 2013–14 season of the Liga Nacional de Básquet, and the Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol (FIBA South American League).{{cite web |url=http://www.basquetplus.com/nota-18014-franco-balbi-y-marcos-saglietti-a-un-paso-de-argentino-de-junin |title=Franco Balbi a un paso de Argentino de Junín |publisher=basquetplus.com |date= |accessdate=2018-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611082408/http://www.basquetplus.com/nota-18014-franco-balbi-y-marcos-saglietti-a-un-paso-de-argentino-de-junin |archive-date=2016-06-11 |url-status=dead }} It was a great season, for both him and the club, with the team making the semifinals of both tournaments. In the 2014–15 LNB season, he became a regular starter for Argentino de Junín, and once again played in the Liga Nacional de Básquet and the Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol. He became an established player in the top level Argentine league, and received noticeable coverage from the local press.

=Ferro=

On May 23, 2016, Balbi signed with Ferro, for the Argentine 2016–17 Liga Nacional de Básquet season.{{cite web|url=http://ferrocarriloeste.org.ar/basquet/franco-balbi-se-suma-a-ferro/ |title=Franco Balbi se suma a Ferro |publisher=ferrocarriloeste.org.ar |date=2016-05-22 |accessdate=2018-07-10}}

=Flamengo=

On June 21, 2018, Balbi signed with the Brazilian NBB club Flamengo, for the 2018–19 NBB season, which marked his first club playing experience outside of Argentina.{{cite web|url=https://globoesporte.globo.com/basquete/noticia/flamengo-anuncia-a-contratacao-do-armador-argentino-franco-balbi.ghtml |title=Flamengo anuncia a contratação do armador argentino Franco Balbi |publisher=globoesporte.com |date=2018-06-21 |accessdate=2018-07-10}}

==2018–2019==

In his first year with Flamengo Balbi had a successful season winning the Rio de Janeiro State Championship, Brazilian Super 8 Cup and the NBB league. Besides that he was elected the league's Best Foreign Player and selected to the All-NBB Team, averaging 10.8 ppg and 5.7 apg in 26 regular season games.

==2019–2020==

On June 19, 2019, Balbi re-signed with Flamengo for one more year.{{cite web | url= http://lnb.com.br/noticias/el-mago-fica-franco-balbi-renova-contrato-com-o-flamengo/ | title= Eleito Armador e Estrangeiro do Ano do NBB CAIXA, argentino jogará no Flamengo por mais uma temporada: "muito feliz" | date= 19 June 2019 | access-date= 3 July 2019 | publisher= lnb.com.br}}

National team career

After a good 2014–15 LNB season with Argentino de Junín, he was selected to the senior Argentine national basketball team for the first time.{{cite web |url=http://www.basquetplus.com/nota-24022-argentino-de-junin-extendio-su-vinculo-con-el-base-franco-balbi |title=Argentino de Junín extendió su vínculo con el base Franco Balbi |publisher=basquetplus.com |date= |accessdate=2018-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611085928/http://www.basquetplus.com/nota-24022-argentino-de-junin-extendio-su-vinculo-con-el-base-franco-balbi |archive-date=2016-06-11 |url-status=dead }} He made his debut against Uruguay, in Olavarría.{{cite web|url=https://www.diariodemocracia.com/mas-deportivo/basquet/108633-franco-balbi-satisfaccion-haber-vestido-camiseta-s/ |title=Franco Balbi: La satisfación de haber vestido la camiseta de la Selección Argentina |publisher=Diario Democracia |date=2015-07-13 |accessdate=2018-07-10}}

Career statistics

=LNB career statistics=

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;" ! Season ! Team ! {{Tooltip\|GP\|Games played}} ! {{Tooltip\|MPG\|Minutes per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|2P%\|2 point field goal percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|3P%\|3 point field goal percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|FT%\|Free throw percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|RPG\|Rebounds per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|APG\|Assists per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|SPG\|Steals per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|BPG\|Blocks per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|PPG\|Points per game}}
2013–14	Argentino de Junín	50	23.3	.472	.410	.738	2.24	2.1	1.2	.02	9.34
2014–15	Argentino de Junín	54	29.6	.416	.309	.822	3.3	5.57	1.41	.09	11.48
2015–16	Argentino de Junín	62	32.4	.395	.302	.822	4.9	6.19	1.24	.13	11.61
2016–17	Ferro Carril	61	27.5	.393	.286	.723	3.51	6.15	1.33	.05	9.28
2017–18	Ferro Carril	38	30.1	.492	.396	.779	3.71	5.50	1.21	.11	11.61
Career		265	28.58	.434	.341	.777	3.53	5.1	1.27	.08	10.66

=NBB regular season=

class="wikitable"

style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|†

|Denotes seasons in which Franco Balbi won NBB championship

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;" ! Season ! Team ! {{Tooltip\|GP\|Games played}} ! {{Tooltip\|MPG\|Minutes per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|2PT FG%\|2 point field goal percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|3PT FG%\|3 point field goal percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|FT%\|Free throw percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|RPG\|Rebounds per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|APG\|Assists per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|SPG\|Steals per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|BPG\|Blocks per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|PPG\|Points per game}}
style="text-align:center;background:#afe6ba;"\| 2018–19†	Flamengo	26	24.3	.485	.371	.808	3.6	5.7	1.8	.0	10.3
Career		26	24.3	.485	.371	.808	3.6	5.7	1.8	.0	10.3

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"

! Season

! Team

! {{Tooltip|GP|Games played}}

! {{Tooltip|MPG|Minutes per game}}

! {{Tooltip|2PT FG%|2 point field goal percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|3PT FG%|3 point field goal percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|FT%|Free throw percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|RPG|Rebounds per game}}

! {{Tooltip|APG|Assists per game}}

! {{Tooltip|SPG|Steals per game}}

! {{Tooltip|BPG|Blocks per game}}

! {{Tooltip|PPG|Points per game}}

style="text-align:center;background:#afe6ba;"| 2018–19†

Flamengo

24.3

.485

.371

.808

3.6

5.7

1.8

10.3

Career

24.3

.485

.371

.808

3.6

5.7

1.8

10.3

=NBB playoffs=

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;" ! Season ! Team ! {{Tooltip\|GP\|Games played}} ! {{Tooltip\|MPG\|Minutes per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|2PT FG%\|2 point field goal percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|3PT FG%\|3 point field goal percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|FT%\|Free throw percentage}} ! {{Tooltip\|RPG\|Rebounds per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|APG\|Assists per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|SPG\|Steals per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|BPG\|Blocks per game}} ! {{Tooltip\|PPG\|Points per game}}
style="text-align:center;background:#afe6ba;"\| 2019†	Flamengo	12	30.8	.400	.344	.912	4.7	5.8	1.8	.0	11.8
Career		12	30.8	.400	.344	.912	4.7	5.8	1.8	.0	11.8

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"

! Season

! Team

! {{Tooltip|GP|Games played}}

! {{Tooltip|MPG|Minutes per game}}

! {{Tooltip|2PT FG%|2 point field goal percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|3PT FG%|3 point field goal percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|FT%|Free throw percentage}}

! {{Tooltip|RPG|Rebounds per game}}

! {{Tooltip|APG|Assists per game}}

! {{Tooltip|SPG|Steals per game}}

! {{Tooltip|BPG|Blocks per game}}

! {{Tooltip|PPG|Points per game}}

style="text-align:center;background:#afe6ba;"| 2019†

Flamengo

30.8

.400

.344

.912

4.7

5.8

1.8

11.8

Career

30.8

.400

.344

.912

4.7

5.8

1.8

11.8

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015131/https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/franco%20balbi/pid//_//players.html FIBA Profile]
[https://basketball.latinbasket.com/player/Franco_Balbi/Clube_de_Regatas_do_Flamengo/124823 Latinbasket.com Profile]
[http://lnb.com.br/atletas/franco-nicolas-balbi/ Novo Basquete Brasil Profile] {{in lang|pt}}

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Category:1989 births

Category:Living people

Category:Argentine expatriate basketball people in Brazil

Category:Argentine men's basketball players

Category:Argentino de Junín basketball players

Category:Ciclista Juninense basketball players