Arvydas Romas Sabonis (; born 19 December 1964) is a Lithuanian former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player and businessman. Sabonis won the
Euroscar six times and the
Mr. Europa Award
The Mister Europa European Player of the Year Award was an annual basketball award created in 1976, and given until 2010, by the panel of journalists of the Italian weekly magazine '' Superbasket''. Its purpose was to praise the best basketball ...
twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the
Spanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). Playing the
center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
, in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, for the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, and later earned bronze medals at the
1992 Olympic Games and
1996 Olympic Games representing
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
in the first round of the
1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until 1995, at the age of 30.
On 20 August 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the
FIBA Hall of Fame
The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. Originally built in ...
in recognition of his great play in international competition. On 4 April 2011, Sabonis was named to the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
,
and he was inducted on 12 August 2011. On 24 October 2011, Sabonis was voted as the next President of the
Lithuanian Basketball Federation
The Lithuanian Basketball Federation (), also known as LKF, is a national governing body of basketball in Lithuania. It was founded in 1936, but due to Occupation of the Baltic states, Soviet occupation, the federation disappeared from FIBA. It w ...
, replacing
Vladas Garastas, who had led the LBF since 1991. He resigned from the position on 2 October 2013, but he came back to it on 10 October 2013.
His son,
Domantas Sabonis, plays for the NBA's
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
.
Early life and career
Born in
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
, in then
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; ; ), also known as Soviet Lithuania or simply Lithuania, was '' de facto'' one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1940–1941 and 1944–1990. After 1946, its terr ...
, Soviet Union, Sabonis began playing basketball at age 13. By the time he was 15 years old, he was a member of the Soviet national junior team.
Sabonis was excused from mandatory service to the
Soviet Army
The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army.
After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...
, by enrolling at the
Lithuanian University of Agriculture, in his hometown.
Professional career
Žalgiris
Sabonis made his professional
club debut in 1981, with one of the oldest basketball teams in Lithuania,
Žalgiris, in his hometown of
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
. With the club, he won three consecutive
Soviet Premier League titles, and the
1986 FIBA Club World Cup (FIBA Intercontinental Cup).
Valladolid
In 1989, Sabonis left Žalgiris, and signed with the Spanish
Liga ACB
The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...
club
Fórum Valladolid. During the 1991–92 season, Sabonis helped the team to reach the semifinals at the
Korać Cup.
Real Madrid
In 1992, after playing with Fórum Valladolid for three seasons, Sabonis joined the Spanish club
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, and with them, he won two
Spanish League titles, and a
FIBA European League (EuroLeague) title, in
1994–95. With Real Madrid, during the
1994–95 Spanish League season, he averaged 22.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.3 blocked shots, in 42 games played. While in the
1994–95 FIBA European League season, he averaged 21.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, in 17 games played.
Portland Trail Blazers
Sabonis was originally selected by the
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
with the 77th overall pick of the
1985 NBA draft
The 1985–86 NBA season, 1985 NBA draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA draft of the "NBA draft lottery, lottery" era. It was also around this time where the league decreased the amount of rounds the draft spent, with the ...
. However, the selection was voided because Sabonis was under 21 at the time of the draft. The following spring, he suffered a devastating
Achilles' tendon
The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris muscle, plantaris, gastrocnemius muscle, gastrocnemius (calf ...
injury. Nevertheless, he was selected by the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
, with the 24th overall pick of the
1986 NBA draft.
As of 2024, Sabonis would be the last player to be selected in multiple
NBA draft
The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...
s, since the process of players entering multiple draft years would be abolished after the 1980s. Sabonis was not allowed to play in the US by the Soviet authorities, despite
LSU Tigers head coach
Dale Brown's plans to have Sabonis studying and playing at
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, thus keeping him in an
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
status. However, he did go to
Portland, to rehabilitate his injury with the Blazers medical staff, in 1988, while also practicing with the team.
After the 1994–95 European season, Sabonis and Portland contacted one another about a move to the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
. Before signing Sabonis, Portland's then-general manager,
Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt is a former sports executive in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the general manager (or in an equivalent role) for three teams: the Seattle SuperSonics and Po ...
, asked the Blazers team physician to look at Sabonis' X-rays. Illustrating the impact of Sabonis' numerous injuries, Whitsitt recalled in a 2011 interview, that when the doctor reported the results, "He said that Arvydas could qualify for a
handicapped parking spot, based on the X-ray alone." Nevertheless, the Blazers signed Sabonis. He had a successful rookie campaign, averaging 14.5 points, on 55% shooting, and 8.1 rebounds per game while playing less than 24 minutes per game.
Sabonis was selected to the
All-Rookie First Team and was runner-up in both
Rookie of the Year and
Sixth Man of the Year voting.
His postseason averages went up to 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
In the first playoff series of his NBA career, Portland lost to Utah in five games. Sabonis averaged 16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in 1997–98, all career-highs.
During Sabonis's first stint in Portland, the Blazers always made the playoffs (part of a 21-year streak); between 1998 and 1999, the Oregon franchise changed large parts of its roster in order to compete for the NBA Championship (after six consecutive first round losses) with center Sabonis the only player remaining in the starting five.
Kenny Anderson and
Isaiah Rider were traded for
Damon Stoudamire and
Steve Smith. In both those years, the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals. In 1999, they were swept by the eventual champions, the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, while, the next year, the team (starting Sabonis, Smith, Stoudamire,
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of Philadelphia, Wallace played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before declaring for the draft in 1995. ...
, and recently added
Scottie Pippen) lost to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
(at the beginning of the team's three-peat), in seven games.
The question that frequently surrounds Sabonis's NBA career revolves around how good he could have been had he played in the NBA during his prime. Sabonis was already 30 when he joined the Blazers, by which time he had already won multiple gold medals, suffered through numerous injuries, and had lost much of his mobility and athleticism. In
Bill Simmons
William John Simmons III (born September 25, 1969) is an American podcaster, Sports journalism, sportswriter, and cultural critic who is the founder and CEO of the sports and pop culture website ''The Ringer (website), The Ringer''. Simmons fir ...
's "Book of Basketball", Sabonis the international player is idealized, while Sabonis the Blazer is described as "lumbering up and down the court in what looked to be concrete Nikes" and ranking "just behind
Artis Gilmore on the Moving Like a Mummy Scale." In
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's David Thorpe's view, Sabonis would be the best passing big man in NBA history, and possibly a top-four center overall, had he played his entire career there. In
Clyde Drexler's view, if Sabonis had been able to spend his prime in Portland, next to the plethora of other Trail Blazers' All-Stars (Drexler,
Terry Porter,
Buck Williams,
Steve Johnson,
Kevin Duckworth, and
Clifford Robinson), the Trail Blazers would "have had four, five or six titles. Guaranteed. He was that good. He could pass, shoot three pointers, had a great post game, and dominated the paint." Despite his height and weight, he was "a magician in the post who played the game with a style I've never seen from a big man. He was a point guard in a center's body. And, just to be fair to Arvydas, he was better than most point guards are at distributing the ball." His age and injuries made him appear as a "big guy who looked like he couldn't make it up the court, but the same guy who made the defense look foolish with a pass that whizzed by their ear. It just goes to show you how smarts and court savvy will always age better than a guy with no brains and all athletic ability".
On 6 April 2001, Sabonis scored a season-high 32 points while making 11 of 12 field goal attempts during a 122–91 win over the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
. After the
2000–2001 NBA season, Sabonis refused to sign an extension with the Trail Blazers and retired from the NBA. In his own words, he "was tired mentally and physically." Instead, he returned to Europe, where he signed a one-year deal, at a nominal salary, with
Žalgiris Kaunas, expecting to join the team for the most important games of the season down the stretch. However, he ended up missing that season in its entirety, resting and recovering from injuries. Sabonis rejoined the Trail Blazers for one final season, in 2002–2003.
He won the
Euroscar twice while playing with the Blazers. He also became a fan favorite,
and had a warm welcome back when he visited Portland in 2011, en route to being enshrined into the
Naismith Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
.
Back to Žalgiris
Sabonis went back to
Žalgiris to play his final season, in 2003–04. He led the team to the Top 16 stage of the
EuroLeague that year, and was named the
Regular Season MVP and the Top 16 MVP. He also became the team's president. Sabonis would officially retire from playing professional basketball, in 2005.
National team career
Soviet national team
In 1982, Sabonis was one of the players in the senior
Soviet Union national team that toured the United States, playing against various
college basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
teams.
[
Despite being recommended to rest, instead of playing in the ]1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
, the Soviets allowed Sabonis to remain a part of their national team.[ Sabonis led the ]Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
to a gold medal, with a win against the 1988 edition of the United States national team, that featured future NBA All-Stars David Robinson, Mitch Richmond, and Danny Manning
Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to and short for the male name Daniel.🖾🖾
People
*Danny Altmann, British immunologist
* Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer
* Danny Baker (born 1957), English j ...
in the semifinals. This was the last American Olympic team that was not composed of active NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
players. The team later beat Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
in the finals.
In his career with the senior Soviet national team, Sabonis also played at the following major tournaments: the 1982 FIBA World Championship
The 1982 FIBA World Championship was the 9th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Colombia from 15 to 28 August 1982.
Qualification
Venues
Competin ...
(gold medal), the 1983 EuroBasket (bronze medal), the 1985 EuroBasket (gold medal), the 1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was the 10th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. It was hosted by Spain and was held from 5 to 20 July 1986. The final phase of the tournament was hel ...
(silver medal), and the 1989 EuroBasket (bronze medal). He was named to the EuroBasket All-Tournament Team
The FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team, or FIBA EuroBasket All-Star Five, is the FIBA Europe award that is bestowed upon the five best players of each FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol holds the record for the most selections in the All-E ...
in 1983 and 1985, and he was named the EuroBasket MVP in 1985.
The 1985–1988 stretch of a heavy playing schedule, and lack of rest, took a significant toll on Sabonis's future health and durability. Various leg injuries were not given much time to heal, due to the Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
climate that surrounded international competition, as well as the intense rivalry of the Žalgiris Kaunas versus CSKA Moscow games in the USSR Premier League. In a 2011 interview, Sabonis expressed an opinion, that overuse by the coaches of the Soviet national program, was a major contributing factor to his first Achilles' tendon injury, back in 1986.[Lithuania Calling]
Also Another key moment for his future health, took place in 1988, when Sabonis had a surgical Achilles procedure performed in Portland, but was rushed back on the floor with the USSR Olympic team, before a full recovery. The decision to include a limping Sabonis, on the USSR roster for the 1988 Olympic Games, was protested at the time by the Portland medical staff, and was later heavily criticized. While the Soviets cleared him to play professionally in 1989, when his Soviet national teammate, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, went to North America, Sabonis postponed his travel, over feeling that he was not physically ready for the NBA.[ Eventually, Sabonis would develop chronic knee, ankle and groin issues, that substantially limited his mobility and explosiveness, by the mid-1990s.
]
Lithuanian national team
After breakup of the Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, and the independence of Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, Sabonis then became a member of the senior Lithuanian national team. He represented Lithuania at the following major tournaments: the 1992 Summer Olympic Games (bronze medal), the 1995 EuroBasket (silver medal), the 1996 Summer Olympic Games (bronze medal), and the 1999 EuroBasket. He was named to the EuroBasket All-Tournament Team
The FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team, or FIBA EuroBasket All-Star Five, is the FIBA Europe award that is bestowed upon the five best players of each FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol holds the record for the most selections in the All-E ...
in 1995.
Sabonis was also awarded a silver medal at the 2013 EuroBasket tournament, due to being the Lithuanian Basketball Federation
The Lithuanian Basketball Federation (), also known as LKF, is a national governing body of basketball in Lithuania. It was founded in 1936, but due to Occupation of the Baltic states, Soviet occupation, the federation disappeared from FIBA. It w ...
(LKF) President.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 73 , , 21 , , 23.8 , , .545 , , .375 , , .757 , , 8.1 , , 1.8 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 14.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 69 , , 68 , , 25.5 , , .498 , , .371 , , .777 , , 7.9 , , 2.1 , , .9 , , 1.2 , , 13.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 73 , , 73 , , 32.0 , , .493 , , .261 , , .798 , , 10.0 , , 3.0 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 16.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, style="background:#cfecec;", 50* , , 48 , , 27.0 , , .485 , , .292 , , .771 , , 7.9 , , 2.4 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , 12.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 66 , , 61 , , 25.6 , , .505 , , .368 , , .843 , , 7.8 , , 1.8 , , .7 , , 1.2 , , 11.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 61 , , 42 , , 21.3 , , .479 , , .067 , , .776 , , 5.4 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , 10.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 78 , , 1 , , 15.5 , , .476 , , .500 , , .787 , , 4.3 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .6 , , 6.1
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 470 , , 314 , , 24.2 , , .500 , , .328 , , .786 , , 7.3 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , 1.1 , , 12.0
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 5 , , 5 , , 35.4 , , .432 , , .556 , , .717 , , 10.2 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .6 , , 23.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 4 , , 4 , , 27.0 , , .429 , , .250 , , .875 , , 6.5 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .8 , , 11.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 4 , , 4 , , 26.8 , , .450 , , .500 , , .857 , , 7.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , 12.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 13 , , 13 , , 30.2 , , .398 , , .200 , , .907 , , 8.8 , , 2.2 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 10.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 16 , , 16 , , 30.8 , , .453 , , .286 , , .796 , , 6.7 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .8 , , 11.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 3 , , 3 , , 34.7 , , .483 , , .000 , , .750 , , 8.3 , , 2.7 , , .3 , , 2.3 , , 11.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, style="text-align:left;", Portland
, 6 , , 1 , , 14.3 , , .667 , , , , .800 , , 4.0 , , .8 , , .7 , , .7 , , 10.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 51 , , 46 , , 28.8 , , .452 , , .319 , , .802 , , 7.4 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .9 , , 12.1
EuroLeague
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1985–86
, style="text-align:left;", Žalgiris
, 13 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 24.5 , ,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1986–87
, style="text-align:left;", Žalgiris
, 6 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 21.3 , ,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1992–93
, style="text-align:left;", Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, 20 , , , , 30.9 , , .543 , , .500 , , .663 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 12.0* , , 1.9 , , 1.2 , , , , 16.5 , ,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1993–94
, style="text-align:left;", Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, 15 , , , , 34.3 , , .577 , , .350 , , .723 , , 11.9 , , 2.9 , , 1.0 , , , , 17.4 , ,
, -
, style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1994–95†
, style="text-align:left;", Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, 17 , , , , 33.8 , , .572 , , .545 , , .783 , , 11.2 , , 2.6 , , 1.8 , , , , 21.8 , ,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2003–04
, style="text-align:left;", Žalgiris
, 18 , , 14 , , 28.3 , , .560 , , .366 , , .696 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 10.7* , , 2.4 , , 1.0 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 1.6* , , 16.7 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 26.3*
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 89 , , , , 31.6 , , .562 , , .439 , , .716 , , 11.4 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , 1.6 , , 19.2 , ,
Personal life
Sabonis is married to Ingrida Mikelionytė, the first Miss Lithuania
Miss Lithuania () is a national Beauty pageant in Lithuania.
History
Miss Lithuania began in 1993 and debuted at the Miss World competition. The pageant traditionally broadcast live on "Lietuvos rytas TV". Since 2012, the Miss Lithuania Organi ...
, a fashion model, and a movie actress. They have a daughter named Aušrinė, and three sons: Žygimantas, Tautvydas, and Domantas – the last two being born in the cities their father was playing, Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
and Portland. Once Sabonis left the NBA, the family moved to the Spanish coastal city of Málaga
Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
.[ Domantas was drafted 11th overall in the 2016 NBA draft and is currently a three-time ]NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
, and currently plays for the Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. Žygimantas, and Tautvydas decided to continue their careers in Europe. Both Domantas and Tautvydas played for the Lithuania national team in different levels of competition.
In September 2011, Sabonis suffered a heart attack, while playing basketball in Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
. Doctors said that the heart attack was not life-threatening.
According to his son, Domantas, Arvydas is a huge fan of the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
, his favorite basketball player is Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
and his favorite color is green.
Popular culture
He appeared on the Lithuanian cover of the video game NBA Live 2001.
Arvydas Sabonis's basketball career and journey to represent his native country Lithuania in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics is highlighted in the documentary film The Other Dream Team. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 and was distributed by Lionsgate in the U.S. and Disney internationally.
See also
* List of tallest players in NBA history
* List of European basketball players in the United States
This is a list of European basketball players who have played in the United States at either professional or NCAA Division I level. It is intended to include players who are currently active, whether inside or outside the U.S., and former player ...
References
External links
*
FIBA Archive Profile
Euroleague.net Profile
Spanish ACB Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabonis, Arvydas
1964 births
Living people
1982 FIBA World Championship players
1986 FIBA World Championship players
Atlanta Hawks draft picks
Basketball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Kaunas
Basketball players with retired numbers
BC Žalgiris players
Businesspeople from Kaunas
CB Valladolid players
Centers (basketball)
Commander's Crosses of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
Euroscar award winners
FIBA EuroBasket–winning players
FIBA Hall of Fame inductees
FIBA World Championship–winning players
Goodwill Games medalists in basketball
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR
Liga ACB players
Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in the United States
Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Spain
Lithuanian men's basketball players
Lithuanian Sportsperson of the Year winners
Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
NBA players from Lithuania
Olympic basketball players for Lithuania
Olympic basketball players for the Soviet Union
Olympic bronze medalists for Lithuania
Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union
Olympic medalists in basketball
Portland Trail Blazers draft picks
Portland Trail Blazers players
Real Madrid Baloncesto players
Recipients of the Olympic Order
Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
Recipients of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Recipients of the Presidential Order of Excellence
Soviet expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Soviet men's basketball players
Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy alumni