- Arvydas Sabonis
-
Arvydas Sabonis 
No. 11 Center Personal information Date of birth December 19, 1964 Place of birth Kaunas, Lithuania SSR – USSR Nationality 
LithuanianListed height 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) Listed weight 292 lb (132 kg) Career information NBA Draft 1986 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers Pro career 1981–2005 Career history 1981–1989 Žalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) 1989–1992 Forum Valladolid (Spain) 1992–1995 Real Madrid (Spain) 1995–2001 Portland Trail Blazers 2001–2002 Žalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) 2002–2003 Portland Trail Blazers 2003–2005 Žalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) Career highlights and awards - NBA All-Rookie First Team (1996)
- 8× European Player of the Year:
- 6× Euroscar Player of the Year (1984–1985, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999)
- 2× Mr. Europa Player of the Year (1985, 1997)
- European Championship MVP (1985)
- Spanish League Finals MVP (1993–1994)
- Spanish League MVP (1994–1995)
- Euroleague Final Four MVP (1995)
- Euroleague Regular Season MVP (2004)
- Euroleague Top 16 MVP (2004)
- All-Euroleague First Team (2004)
- 35 Greatest Euroleague Players
- FIBA Hall of Fame Inductee
Career NBA statistics Points 5,629 (12.0 ppg) Rebounds 3,436 (7.3 ppg) Stats at NBA.com Stats at Basketball-Reference.com Basketball Hall of Fame as player MedalsMen's basketball Olympic Games Competitor for 
Soviet UnionGold 1988 Seoul National team Competitor for LithuaniaBronze 1992 Barcelona National team Bronze 1996 Atlanta National team World Championships Competitor for Soviet UnionGold Colombia 1982 National team Silver Spain 1986 National team European Championships Competitor for Soviet UnionBronze 1983 France National team Gold 1985 West Germany National team Bronze 1989 Yugoslavia National team Competitor for LithuaniaSilver 1995 Greece National team Arvydas Sabonis (born December 19, 1964) is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr. Europa Award twice, as the best European player and played in a variety of leagues, including seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. Sabonis played the center position and also won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 and 1996 games while playing for Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005.
Sabonis is considered one of the best big man passers as well as one of the best overall centers in the history of the game. Bill Walton once called Sabonis a 7' 3" Larry Bird due to his unique court vision, shooting range, rugged in-game mentality, and versatility.[1]
On August 20, 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in recognition of his great play in international competition.[2] On April 4, 2011, Sabonis was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,[3] and he was inducted on August 12, 2011. Sabonis has the distinction of being the tallest player inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. On 24 October, 2011, Sabonis was voted to be the next commissioner of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation.
Contents
Early years
Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, 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.[4]
Professional career
Sabonis made his professional debut in 1981 with one of the oldest basketball teams in Lithuania -BC Žalgiris in his hometown, Kaunas. He won three consecutive Soviet League titles and reached the 1986 Euroleague finals with the team.
Sabonis was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 77th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft. 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 injury. Nevertheless, he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 24th pick of the 1986 NBA Draft.[4]
Sabonis was not allowed to play in the NBA by Soviet authorities until 1989. However, he did go to Portland to rehabilitate his injury with Blazers trainers. He also practiced with the team.
In the 1988 Summer Olympics, Sabonis led the Soviet Union to a gold medal with a win against a United States team that featured future NBA All-Stars David Robinson, Mitch Richmond and Danny Manning[4] in the semi-finals. The team later beat Yugoslavia in the finals.[4]
The 1985–1988 stretch of a heavy playing schedule and lack of rest took a significant toll on Sabonis' future health and durability. Various leg injuries weren't given much time to heal due to the Cold War climate that surrounded international competition as well as BC Žalgiris – CSKA Moscow games. 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.[5] 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 Portland medical staff and was later heavily criticized.[6] Eventually Sabonis would develop chronic knee, ankle and groin issues that substantially limited his mobility and explosiveness by the mid-90s.
In 1992, after playing with CB Valladolid for three seasons, Sabonis joined Real Madrid and won two Spanish League titles and a Euroleague title in 1995. During the 1994–95 regular season with Real Madrid, he averaged 22.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocked shots, and 2.4 assists per game.[4]
In 1995, Sabonis signed with the Blazers. He had a successful rookie campaign, averaging 14.5 points on 55% shooting and 8.1 rebounds while playing less than 24 minutes per game.[4] 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 votings.[4] His postseason averages were up to 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds.[4]
Sabonis averaged 16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 1997–98, all career-highs.
He won the European Player of the Year twice while playing with the Blazers. He also became a fan favorite.[7]
The question that surrounds Sabonis' NBA career revolves around how good he could have been had he played in the NBA during his prime.[8][9] Sabonis was nearly 31 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' "Book of Basketball", Arvydas Sabonis the international player is idealized while Arvydas 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."[10] In ESPN's David Thorpe's view, Sabonis would be the best passing big in NBA history and possibly top 4 center overall, had he played his entire career there. [11] 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 and "Cliff" Robinson), 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."[12]
After the 2000–2001 NBA season, Sabonis refused to sign an extension with 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 nominal salary with Žalgiris, expecting to join the team for most important games down the stretch. However, he ended up missing that season in its entirety resting and recovering from injuries. Sabonis rejoined Trail Blazers for one final season in 2002–2003.[13]
Sabonis came back to Žalgiris to play his final season in 2003 – 2004. 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.[14] Sabonis would officially retire in 2005.
Personal life
Sabonis is married to Ingrida, a former Miss Vilnius, fashion model, and movie actress.[4] They have a daughter named Aušrinė and three sons: Domantas, Tautvydas, and Žygimantas. Tautvydas plays for the CB Málaga junior team,[15] and was a member of the Lithuania under-19 national team that won the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.[5] The other two sons also represent Lithuanian national teams in FIBA youth tournaments of their age groups; as of August 2011, Domantas was touted as Lithuania's top under-15 player.[5]
In September of 2011, Sabonis suffered a heart attack while playing basketball in Lithuania. Doctors said that the heart attack was not life-threatening.[16]
NBA career statistics
Legend 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 Regular season
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 .6 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 Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 1995–96 Portland 5 5 35.4 .432 .556 .717 10.2 1.8 .8 .6 23.6 1996–97 Portland 4 4 27.0 .429 .250 .875 6.5 2.3 .8 .8 11.3 1997–98 Portland 4 4 26.8 .450 .500 .857 7.8 1.5 1.8 .8 12.3 1998–99 Portland 13 13 30.2 .398 .200 .907 8.8 2.2 1.2 1.2 10.0 1999–00 Portland 16 16 30.8 .453 .286 .796 6.7 1.9 .9 .8 11.3 2000–01 Portland 3 3 34.7 .483 .000 .750 8.3 2.7 .3 2.3 11.3 2002–03 Portland 6 1 14.3 .667 .000 .800 4.0 .8 .7 .7 10.0 Career 51 46 28.8 .452 .319 .802 7.4 1.9 .9 .9 12.1 See also
- List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history
References
- ^ "Where's Walton ... Day 15: West Coast Reflections". NBA. http://www.nba.com/playoffs2002/Wheres_Walton__Day_15.html.
- ^ "FIBA announces 2010 Hall of Fame Class". FIBA. 2010-08-20. http://www.halloffame.fiba.com/pages/eng/hof/news/p/newsid/42798/arti.html.
- ^ "Rodman, Mullin, Winter named to Naismith Hall of Fame". NBA. 2011-04-04. http://www.nba.com/2011/news/04/04/naismith-hall-of-fame/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Arvydas Sabonis Bio". NBA.com. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/arvydas_sabonis/bio.html. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c Lithuania Calling Also Winn, Luke (August 15, 2011). "Lithuania Calling". Sports Illustrated 115 (6): 52–56.
- ^ NY Times, 1988 08 30
- ^ Lyslo, Erik. "Portland Will Miss Arvydas Sabonis". http://www.nba.com/blazers/special_features/Portland_will_miss_Arvydas_Sab-84264-41.html. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ Whittell, Ian (May 2, 2008). "Best of the Euroleague and NBA: Arvydas Sabonis". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=Euro-Sabonis. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ Quick, Jason (February 27, 2010). "Blazers Top 40: No. 20 Arvydas Sabonis". OregonLive.com. http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/02/blazers_top_40_no_20_arvydas_s.html. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ The Bill Simmons Typo That Insulted an Entire City // Blazer's Edge
- ^ ESPN, Chat with David Thorpe, 25422
- ^ ESPN, Chat with Clyde Drexler, 24592
- ^ Boredom Brings Sabonis Back to Blazers, The Columbian (Vancouver, WA), October 1, 2002
- ^ "50 Greatest contributors list: Arvydas Sabonis". euroleague.net. http://www.euroleague.net/history/50-years/the-archive/i/26224/1609/item. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ "Tautvydas Sabonis 2008–09 Statistics". euroleague.net. http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?seasoncode=JT08&gamecode=81&pcode=001631. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ Former NBA star Sabonis stable after heart attack
External links
- NBA.com Profile – Arvydas Sabonis
- Euroleague.net Profile – Arvydas Sabonis
- Fibaeurope.com Profile
- Arvydas Sabonis Player Profile (InterBasket)
- The Sabonis Network
Awards and achievements Preceded by
Juan Antonio San EpifanioMr. Europa
1985Succeeded by
Dražen PetrovićPreceded by
Toni KukočMr. Europa
1997Succeeded by
Predrag DanilovićCategories:- 1964 births
- Living people
- FIBA Hall of Fame inductees
- Lithuanian basketball players
- Lithuanian businesspeople
- Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Soviet basketball players
- Expatriates in Spain
- People from Kaunas
- Olympic basketball players of Lithuania
- Olympic basketball players of the Soviet Union
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- Basketball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Atlanta Hawks draft picks
- Portland Trail Blazers draft picks
- Portland Trail Blazers players
- Liga ACB players
- Real Madrid Baloncesto players
- CB Valladolid players
- BC Žalgiris players
- Olympic gold medalists for the Soviet Union
- Olympic bronze medalists for Lithuania
- Centers (basketball)
- Eurobasket-winning players
- Olympic medalists in basketball
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