30-year old Serbian center with 2,11m who has played his second season in LEB Gold with Club Ourense Baloncesto outstanding for being one of the best players of the league after a long career all over Europe. Formed in Partizan, Darko changed to other teams of his country, highlighting as the very first time in 2011-12 season with Vizura Smederevo, which made him have the first overseas opporunity, in Romania with Targu-Mures. A step in Macedonia and then in Smederevo brought him to Hungry, and playing for SZTE-Szedeak Szeged he exploded. He finished the season as the 3rd best scorer of the league (21 points per game). Next season, 2015-16, Balaban signed in the 1st Greece division with PAOK Salonica, making his debut in Eurocup with the Greek team. After new comeback to Romania and an exotic adventure in Tunisia, he finished in Borac. A good season in the best Serbian team (apart from Adriatic league teams) allowed him to sign in Melilla in the 2018-19, previous step to Ourense, where he recovered his best version and he showed all his potential again. After this year in Ourense, he showed his skills in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Iran and recently in Serbia, where he was able to continue averaging over ten points and adding, as always, his great ability in the offensive and defensive rebound.

In his style, Darko Balaban outstands for being a player with elite offensive skills to score in low post situations. There, the Serbian center  shows an incredible feet movement and uncontable resources to finish high and over both shoulders without any problem. A good right hook, spins in low post and hints are his identity signals. Diverse finishings he also makes when he rolls in Pick&Roll situations, his other main source of scoring. His ability to cut to the rim, his ability to rebound in offense (always with excellent figures over the 10% ORB) and finishing, complete his offensive profile, which we should add a great facility to score from the FT line (76% and 73% in last two seasons). If he suffers double defenses, he is able to pass to the open shooter and he does not use forced shots, prioritizing the wise choice as we can see in his last five seasons always over the 60% in FG shots. In defence, Darko is a huge rebounder in his rim (always over the 22% in DRB), skilled and smart in 1on1 and P&R situations and with a certain ability to block, as shows his numbers over 1 block per 40′ in the last seasons in different leagues. In Ourense, he averaged over 15 points and 6,5 rebounds per game, numbers that he was able to sustain these past years in all clubs he has played.