Dogus Balbay officially retires / News - Basketnews.com

A mainstay of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Turkish basketball, guard Dogus Balbay has announced that he has officially retired from the game.

Credit: Reuters Credit Reuters

Dogus Balbay, an important player of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and a familiar presence of EuroLeague basketball, has announced his retirement.

Dogus Balbay

Position:PGAge:34Height:185 cmWeight:82 kgBirth place:Istanbul, TurkeyProfileNewsStatistics

Balbay also served the Turkish National Team on four occasions, being also extensively involved in youth campaigns before his senior career.

The guard was a product of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's youth teams but has served Anadolu Efes for the majority of his senior career, being with the Istanbul team between 2011 and 2023.

Eventually, the defensively-minded player became Efes's captain in the 2014-15 season and continued his duties until the end of the 2022-23 season.

In his last two seasons, 2021-22 and 2022-23, the guard suffered many injuries and underwent surgeries that kept him sidelined for a long while.

Last season, the club parted ways with Balbay, who retired and did not sign a new deal with any other team.

Throughout his career, Balbay was used more as a defensive specialist, having career averages of 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds. His presence was also important for the chemistry of Efes as he was renowned for his players-only meetings while the team was in a downward slump.

Dogus Balbay became the EuroLeague champion two times, won the Turkish Super League 3 times, and became the MVP of the Turkish Cup in 2018.

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