Arvydas Romas Sabonis (Lithuanian pronunciation:[ˈaːrviːdaːsˈsaːboːnʲɪs]; born 19 December 1964) is a Lithuanian former professionalbasketball player and businessman.[1][2] Sabonis won theEuroscar six times and theMr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including theSpanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Playing thecenter position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the1988 Summer Olympics, inSouth Korea, for theSoviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the1992 Olympic Games and1996 Olympic Games representingLithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by thePortland Trail Blazers in the first round of the1986 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 theFIBA Hall of Fame in recognition of his great play in international competition.[3] On 4 April 2011, Sabonis was named to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,[4] and he was inducted on 12 August 2011. On 24 October 2011, Sabonis was voted as the next President of theLithuanian Basketball Federation, replacingVladas 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'sSacramento Kings as of 2025[update].[5]
Born inKaunas, in theSoviet 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.[6]
Sabonis was excused from mandatory service to theSoviet Army, by enrolling at theLithuanian University of Agriculture, in his hometown.[7]
Sabonis made his professionalclub debut in 1981, with one of the oldest basketball teams in Lithuania,Žalgiris, in his hometown ofKaunas. With the club, he won three consecutiveSoviet Premier League titles, and the1986 FIBA Club World Cup (FIBA Intercontinental Cup).
In 1989, Sabonis left Žalgiris, and signed with the SpanishLiga ACB clubFórum Valladolid.[8] During the 1991–92 season, Sabonis helped the team to reach the semifinals at theKorać Cup.
In 1992, after playing with Fórum Valladolid for three seasons, Sabonis joined the Spanish clubReal Madrid, and with them, he won twoSpanish League titles, and aFIBA European League (EuroLeague) title, in1994–95.[9] With Real Madrid, during the1994–95 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.[10] While in the1994–95 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.[11] While a member of Real, Sabonis was twice voted theFIBA European League Player of the Year, in 1993 and 1995, and he was also voted theFIBA European League Final Four MVP, in 1995.
Sabonis was originally selected by theAtlanta Hawks with the 77th overall pick of the1985 NBA draft. However, the selection was voided because Sabonis was under 21 at the time of the draft. The following spring, he suffered a devastatingAchilles' tendon injury. Nevertheless, he was selected by thePortland Trail Blazers, with the 24th overall pick of the1986 NBA draft.[6] As of 2025, Sabonis would be the last player to be selected in multipleNBA drafts, since the process of players entering multiple draft years would be abolished after the 1980s.[12] Sabonis was not allowed to play in the US by the Soviet authorities, despiteLSU Tigers head coachDale Brown's plans to have Sabonis studying and playing atLouisiana State University, thus keeping him in anamateur status. However, he did go toPortland, to rehabilitate his injury with the Blazers medical staff, in 1988, while also practicing with the team.[13]
After the 1994–95 European season, Sabonis and Portland contacted one another about a move to theNBA. Before signing Sabonis, Portland's then-general manager,Bob Whitsitt, 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 ahandicapped parking spot, based on the X-ray alone."[14] 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.[6] Sabonis was selected to theAll-Rookie First Team and was runner-up in bothRookie of the Year andSixth Man of the Year voting.[6] His postseason averages went up to 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.[6] 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 andIsaiah Rider were traded forDamon Stoudamire andSteve Smith. In both those years, the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals. In 1999, they were swept by the eventual champions, theSan Antonio Spurs, while, the next year, the team (starting Sabonis, Smith, Stoudamire,Rasheed Wallace, and recently addedScottie Pippen) lost to theLos Angeles Lakers (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.[15][16] 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. InBill Simmons'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 behindArtis Gilmore on the Moving Like a Mummy Scale."[17] InESPN'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.[18] InClyde 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, andClifford Robinson),[19] 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."[20] 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".[21]
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 theGolden State Warriors.[22] After the2000–2001 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, withŽalgiris 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.[23]
He won theEuroscar twice while playing with the Blazers. He also became a fan favorite,[21] and had a warm welcome back when he visited Portland in 2011, en route to being enshrined into theNaismith Hall of Fame.[24]
Sabonis went back toŽalgiris to play his final season, in 2003–04. He led the team to the Top 16 stage of theEuroLeague that year, and was named both theGroup Stage MVP and theTop 16 Stage MVP. He also became the team's president.[25] Sabonis would officially retire from playing professional basketball, in 2005.
In 1982, Sabonis was one of the players in the seniorSoviet Union national team that toured the United States, playing against variouscollege basketball teams.[13]
Despite being recommended to rest, instead of playing in the1988 Summer Olympics, the Soviets allowed Sabonis to remain a part of their national team.[13] Sabonis led theSoviet Union to a gold medal, with a win against the1988 edition of theUnited States national team, that featured future NBA All-StarsDavid Robinson,Mitch Richmond, andDanny Manning[6] in the semifinals. This was the last American Olympic team that was not composed of activeNBA players. The team later beatYugoslavia in the finals.[6]
In his career with the senior Soviet national team, Sabonis also played at the following major tournaments: the1982 FIBA World Championship (gold medal), the1983 EuroBasket (bronze medal), the1985 EuroBasket (gold medal), the1986 FIBA World Championship (silver medal), and the1989 EuroBasket (bronze medal).[26] He was named to theEuroBasket All-Tournament Team in 1983 and 1985, and he was named theEuroBasket 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 theCold War climate that surrounded international competition, as well as the intense rivalry of theŽalgiris Kaunas versusCSKA Moscow games in theUSSR 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.[27] 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.[28] While the Soviets cleared him to playprofessionally 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.[13] Eventually, Sabonis would develop chronic knee, ankle and groin issues, that substantially limited his mobility and explosiveness, by the mid-1990s.
After breakup of theSoviet Union, and the independence ofLithuania, Sabonis then became a member of the seniorLithuanian national team. He represented Lithuania at the following major tournaments: the1992 Summer Olympic Games (bronze medal), the1995 EuroBasket (silver medal), the1996 Summer Olympic Games (bronze medal), and the1999 EuroBasket. He was named to theEuroBasket All-Tournament Team in 1995.
Sabonis was also awarded a silver medal at the2013 EuroBasket tournament, due to being theLithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) President.[29]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Portland | 73 | 21 | 23.8 | .545 | .375 | .757 | 8.1 | 1.8 | .9 | 1.1 | 14.5 |
| 1996–97 | Portland | 69 | 68 | 25.5 | .498 | .371 | .777 | 7.9 | 2.1 | .9 | 1.2 | 13.4 |
| 1997–98 | Portland | 73 | 73 | 32.0 | .493 | .261 | .798 | 10.0 | 3.0 | .9 | 1.1 | 16.0 |
| 1998–99 | Portland | 50* | 48 | 27.0 | .485 | .292 | .771 | 7.9 | 2.4 | .7 | 1.3 | 12.1 |
| 1999–00 | Portland | 66 | 61 | 25.6 | .505 | .368 | .843 | 7.8 | 1.8 | .7 | 1.2 | 11.8 |
| 2000–01 | Portland | 61 | 42 | 21.3 | .479 | .067 | .776 | 5.4 | 1.5 | .7 | 1.0 | 10.1 |
| 2002–03 | Portland | 78 | 1 | 15.5 | .476 | .500 | .787 | 4.3 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | 6.1 |
| Career | 470 | 314 | 24.2 | .500 | .328 | .786 | 7.3 | 2.1 | .8 | 1.1 | 12.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Portland | 5 | 5 | 35.4 | .432 | .556 | .717 | 10.2 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | 23.6 |
| 1997 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 27.0 | .429 | .250 | .875 | 6.5 | 2.3 | .8 | .8 | 11.3 |
| 1998 | Portland | 4 | 4 | 26.8 | .450 | .500 | .857 | 7.8 | 1.5 | 1.8 | .8 | 12.3 |
| 1999 | Portland | 13 | 13 | 30.2 | .398 | .200 | .907 | 8.8 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 10.0 |
| 2000 | Portland | 16 | 16 | 30.8 | .453 | .286 | .796 | 6.7 | 1.9 | .9 | .8 | 11.3 |
| 2001 | Portland | 3 | 3 | 34.7 | .483 | .000 | .750 | 8.3 | 2.7 | .3 | 2.3 | 11.3 |
| 2003 | Portland | 6 | 1 | 14.3 | .667 | — | .800 | 4.0 | .8 | .7 | .7 | 10.0 |
| Career | 51 | 46 | 28.8 | .452 | .319 | .802 | 7.4 | 1.9 | .9 | .9 | 12.1 | |
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating | |
| Bold | Career high | † | Won aEuroLeague championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–86 | Žalgiris | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24.5 | — |
| 1986–87 | Žalgiris | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21.3 | — |
| 1992–93[31] | Real Madrid | 20 | — | 30.9 | .543 | .500 | .663 | 12.0* | 1.9 | 1.2 | — | 16.5 | — |
| 1993–94[32] | Real Madrid | 15 | — | 34.3 | .577 | .350 | .723 | 11.9 | 2.9 | 1.0 | — | 17.4 | — |
| 1994–95†[33] | Real Madrid | 17 | — | 33.8 | .572 | .545 | .783 | 11.2 | 2.6 | 1.8 | — | 21.8 | — |
| 2003–04 | Žalgiris | 18 | 14 | 28.3 | .560 | .366 | .696 | 10.7* | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.6* | 16.7 | 26.3* |
| Career | 89 | — | 31.6 | .562 | .439 | .716 | 11.4 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 19.2 | — | |
Sabonis is married to Ingrida Mikelionytė, the firstMiss Lithuania, a fashion model, and a movie actress.[6] They have a daughter named Aušrinė, and three sons: Žygimantas, Tautvydas, andDomantas – the last two being born in the cities their father was playing,Valladolid and Portland. Once Sabonis left the NBA, the family moved to the Spanish coastal city ofMálaga.[13] Domantas was drafted 11th overall in the2016 NBA draft and is currently a three-timeNBA All-Star,[34] and currently plays for theSacramento Kings. Žygimantas,[35] 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 inLithuania. Doctors said that the heart attack was not life-threatening.[36]
According to his son, Domantas, Arvydas is a huge fan of theBoston Celtics, his favorite basketball player isLarry Bird and his favorite color is green.[37]
In March 2022, following the start of theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Sabonis severely criticizedRussia and demonstrated his support toUkraine,Ukrainians,Alexander Volkov: "I do not communicate with Russians. I had text chat with A. Volkov, other Ukrainians. They are all out of balance. And the Russians... We will never be able to believe these liars again in our lives. Peace doves,bleha. Peaceful country! Is this peace here? To blow up children and free people? There are no words. I have no desire to communicate with them."[38]
He appeared on the Lithuanian cover of the video gameNBA 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 filmThe Other Dream Team.[39] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 and was distributed by Lionsgate in the U.S. and Disney internationally.
In 2014, Sabonis appeared in a documentary about him, titledArvydas Sabonis. 11, which overlook his career since 1981.[40]
In 2023, Sabonis appeared in a movieBilietas (The Ticket), which overlook basketball club Žalgiris Kaunas in 1979–1989.[41]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Links to related articles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
