BC Khimki adds Nikita Balashov20 june 2013

22-year-old forward Nikita Balashov is a first BC Khimki rookie in the 2013 offseason. The contract with a young player, a candidate for the Russian national team, has been signed for 2 years. Now, the player is in the location of the student team, which is preparing for the Universiade in Kazan.

Pavel Astakhov, BC Khimki General Manager:

— We are pleased to welcome Nikita to our club. He is a young, ambitious and talented player who's actively knocking the door of the national team. Rimas Kurtinaitis considered the invitation of Balashov a priority in the current offseason. We suppose that in BC Khimki Nikita will continue to progress, and greatly benefit the team.

Rimas Kurtinaitis, BC Khimki Head Coach:

— I've been observing Balashov for a long time, I like his style. He has a lot of potential, Nikita can grow into a player of very high class. He also has strong character, fighting spirit and game intelligence. He is effective on pick-and-rolls and aggressive in the offense, and has a flair for blocks. I'm happy to see Nikita in our team.

Nikita Balashov

Birthday – June 19, 1991.
Position – forward.
Height – 207 cm.
Weight – 95 kg.
Entry to club since 2013

Sports career

Teams played:
2008-2010 – Dynamo-2 (Moscow),
2010-2011 – Dynamo (Moscow),
2011-2013 – BC Krasnye Krylia (Samara),
Since 2013 – BC Khimki

Achievements:
2010 – Russian Youth Championship bronze medalist,
2012 – Russian Cup winner,
2013 – Russian Cup winner, EuroChallenge FIBA winner

2011 – European championship U 20 participant

VTB United League stats (season 2012/2013):

Games – 19, Pts – 7.3, Rbs – 4.6, Ast – 0.3, Eff – 8.6