Arvydas Sabonis
Encyclopedia
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a retired Lithuania
n 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.
On August 20, 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame
in recognition of his great play in international competition. On April 4, 2011, Sabonis was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 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 president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation
.
, 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.
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
.
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
in the semi-finals. The team later beat Yugoslavia
in the finals.
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. 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. 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.
After the 1994–95 European season, Sabonis and Portland contacted one another about a move to the NBA. 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 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 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
votings. His postseason averages were up to 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds.
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.
The question that surrounds Sabonis' NBA career revolves around how good he could have been had he played in the NBA during his prime. 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." 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. 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."
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.
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. Sabonis would officially retire in 2005.
, fashion model, and movie actress. They have a daughter named Aušrinė and three sons: Domantas, Tautvydas, and Žygimantas. Tautvydas plays for the CB Málaga junior team, and was a member of the Lithuania under-19 national team that won the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
. 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.
In September of 2011, Sabonis suffered a heart attack while playing basketball in Lithuania
. Doctors said that the heart attack was not life-threatening.
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Portland
| 73 || 21 || 23.8 || .545 || .375 || .757 || 8.1 || 1.8 || .9 || 1.1 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Portland
| 69 || 68 || 25.5 || .498 || .371 || .777 || 7.9 || 2.1 || .9 || 1.2 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Portland
| 73 || 73 || 32.0 || .493 || .261 || .798 || 10.0 || 3.0 || .9 || 1.1 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Portland
| 50 || 48 || 27.0 || .485 || .292 || .771 || 7.9 || 2.4 || .7 || 1.3 || 12.1
|-
| align="left" | 1999-00
| align="left" | Portland
| 66 || 61 || 25.6 || .505 || .368 || .843 || 7.8 || 1.8 || .6 || 1.2 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Portland
| 61 || 42 || 21.3 || .479 || .067 || .776 || 5.4 || 1.5 || .7 || 1.0 || 10.1
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Portland
| 78 || 1 || 15.5 || .476 || .500 || .787 || 4.3 || 1.8 || .8 || .6 || 6.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 470 || 314 || 24.2 || .500 || .328 || .786 || 7.3 || 2.1 || .8 || 1.1 || 12.0
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Portland
| 5 || 5 || 35.4 || .432 || .556 || .717 || 10.2 || 1.8 || .8 || .6 || 23.6
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Portland
| 4 || 4 || 27.0 || .429 || .250 || .875 || 6.5 || 2.3 || .8 || .8 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Portland
| 4 || 4 || 26.8 || .450 || .500 || .857 || 7.8 || 1.5 || 1.8 || .8 || 12.3
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Portland
| 13 || 13 || 30.2 || .398 || .200 || .907 || 8.8 || 2.2 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Portland
| 16 || 16 || 30.8 || .453 || .286 || .796 || 6.7 || 1.9 || .9 || .8 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Portland
| 3 || 3 || 34.7 || .483 || .000 || .750 || 8.3 || 2.7 || .3 || 2.3 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Portland
| 6 || 1 || 14.3 || .667 || .000 || .800 || 4.0 || .8 || .7 || .7 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 51 || 46 || 28.8 || .452 || .319 || .802 || 7.4 || 1.9 || .9 || .9 || 12.1
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year
European Basketball Player of the Year Awards
The European Basketball Player of the Year Awards are the three awards given out on a yearly basis to the best male European basketball player of the year. More specifically, those are the Mr. Europa award, which began in 1976, the Euroscar, established in 1979, and the FIBA Europe Player of the...
, winning the Euroscar Award
Euroscar Award
The Euroscar European Player of the Year Award known as European basketball's Oscar award, is an annual basketball award that started in 1979. The award names each year's best European basketball player, regardless of where he plays in the world, including NBA players. The award is judged on the...
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
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) in the United States. Sabonis played the center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
position and also won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The United States won the gold medal in the women's competition, thus repeating their performance from the 1984 tournament. In the men's tournament, the Soviet Union took home their second gold medal in...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union national basketball team
The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the successor countries all set up their own national teams...
, 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
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
once called Sabonis a 7' 3" Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
due to his unique court vision, shooting range, rugged in-game mentality, and versatility.
On August 20, 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball...
in recognition of his great play in international competition. On April 4, 2011, Sabonis was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 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 president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation
Lithuanian Basketball Federation
Lithuanian Basketball Federation , also known as LKF, is a national governing body of basketball in Lithuania. It was founded in 1936, but due to Soviet occupation, the federation disappeared from FIBA. It was reinstated in 1991 following the Independence of Lithuania...
.
Early years
Born in KaunasKaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, 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.
Professional career
Sabonis made his professional debut in 1981 with one of the oldest basketball teams in Lithuania -BC ŽalgirisBC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
in his hometown, Kaunas. He won three consecutive Soviet League titles and reached the 1986 Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
finals with the team.
Sabonis was selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
with the 77th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft
1985 NBA Draft
The 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. A total of 162 players were selected over 7 rounds by the league's 23 teams. The New York Knicks were awarded the first overall pick, by winning the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery, which was held...
. 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
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
with the 24th pick of the 1986 NBA Draft
1986 NBA Draft
-Drug and health issues involving drafted players:There were various drug-related problems that plagued players in the 1986 NBA draft. Most notable was the death of highly-touted Len Bias. Bias died less than two days after being selected second overall by the defending champion Boston Celtics. His...
.
Sabonis was not allowed to play in the NBA by Soviet authorities until 1989. However, he did go to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to rehabilitate his injury with Blazers trainers. He also practiced with the team.
In the 1988 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The United States won the gold medal in the women's competition, thus repeating their performance from the 1984 tournament. In the men's tournament, the Soviet Union took home their second gold medal in...
, Sabonis led the Soviet Union
Soviet Union national basketball team
The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the successor countries all set up their own national teams...
to a gold medal with a win against a United States
United States national basketball team
The United States men's national basketball team represents the United States of America in international men's basketball. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen golds...
team that featured future NBA All-Stars David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
, Mitch Richmond
Mitch Richmond
Mitchell James "Mitch" Richmond is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He played collegiately at Kansas State University. He was a 6-time NBA All-Star, a 5-time All-NBA Team member and a former NBA Rookie of the Year...
and Danny Manning
Danny Manning
Daniel Ricardo "Danny" Manning is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Manning won the National Championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and...
in the semi-finals. The team later beat Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
in the finals.
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
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
– CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
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. 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. 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
CB Valladolid
Club Baloncesto Valladolid, S.A.D., actually known as Blancos de Rueda Valladolid, is a professional basketball team based in Valladolid, Castile-Leon, Spain. CB Valladolid is member of the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto...
for three seasons, Sabonis joined Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
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.
After the 1994–95 European season, Sabonis and Portland contacted one another about a move to the NBA. Before signing Sabonis, Portland's then-general manager Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt
Bob Whitsitt is a former sports executive in both the National Basketball Association and the National Football League. He has served as the general manager for three teams: the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL...
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 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
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
and Sixth Man of the Year
NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's most valuable player for his team coming off the bench as a substitute . A panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from throughout...
votings. His postseason averages were up to 23.6 points and 10.2 rebounds.
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
Euroscar Award
The Euroscar European Player of the Year Award known as European basketball's Oscar award, is an annual basketball award that started in 1979. The award names each year's best European basketball player, regardless of where he plays in the world, including NBA players. The award is judged on the...
twice while playing with the Blazers. He also became a fan favorite.
The question that surrounds Sabonis' NBA career revolves around how good he could have been had he played in the NBA during his prime. 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." 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. In Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...
'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
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
, Buck Williams
Buck Williams
Charles Linwood Williams , better known as "Buck", is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles.Williams, 6 ft 8 in , ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds...
and "Cliff" Robinson
Clifford R. Robinson
Clifford "Cliff" Ralph Robinson is a former American professional basketball player, formerly of the National Basketball Association.-Highlights:...
), 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."
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
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
, 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.
Sabonis came back to Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
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. Sabonis would officially retire in 2005.
Personal life
Sabonis is married to Ingrida, a former Miss VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, fashion model, and movie actress. They have a daughter named Aušrinė and three sons: Domantas, Tautvydas, and Žygimantas. Tautvydas plays for the CB Málaga junior team, and was a member of the Lithuania under-19 national team that won the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
The 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship was hosted by Latvia from June 30 to July 10, 2011. The draw for the Championship took place on February 17, 2011 in Riga. Teams played a round robin schedule, with the top three teams advancing to the knockout stage. Lithuania became the champion...
. 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.
In September of 2011, Sabonis suffered a heart attack while playing basketball in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. Doctors said that the heart attack was not life-threatening.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
| 73 || 21 || 23.8 || .545 || .375 || .757 || 8.1 || 1.8 || .9 || 1.1 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Portland
| 69 || 68 || 25.5 || .498 || .371 || .777 || 7.9 || 2.1 || .9 || 1.2 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
1997-98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Portland
| 73 || 73 || 32.0 || .493 || .261 || .798 || 10.0 || 3.0 || .9 || 1.1 || 16.0
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
1998-99 NBA season
The 1999 NBA season was the 53rd season of the National Basketball Association . Due to a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999 after a new six year Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association...
| align="left" | Portland
| 50 || 48 || 27.0 || .485 || .292 || .771 || 7.9 || 2.4 || .7 || 1.3 || 12.1
|-
| align="left" | 1999-00
| align="left" | Portland
| 66 || 61 || 25.6 || .505 || .368 || .843 || 7.8 || 1.8 || .6 || 1.2 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
2000-01 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Mike Miller, Orlando Magic*Defensive Player of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia 76ers/Atlanta Hawks...
| align="left" | Portland
| 61 || 42 || 21.3 || .479 || .067 || .776 || 5.4 || 1.5 || .7 || 1.0 || 10.1
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Portland
| 78 || 1 || 15.5 || .476 || .500 || .787 || 4.3 || 1.8 || .8 || .6 || 6.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 470 || 314 || 24.2 || .500 || .328 || .786 || 7.3 || 2.1 || .8 || 1.1 || 12.0
|-
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1995–96
1996 NBA Playoffs
The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...
| align="left" | Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
| 5 || 5 || 35.4 || .432 || .556 || .717 || 10.2 || 1.8 || .8 || .6 || 23.6
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
| align="left" | Portland
| 4 || 4 || 27.0 || .429 || .250 || .875 || 6.5 || 2.3 || .8 || .8 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
| align="left" | Portland
| 4 || 4 || 26.8 || .450 || .500 || .857 || 7.8 || 1.5 || 1.8 || .8 || 12.3
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
| align="left" | Portland
| 13 || 13 || 30.2 || .398 || .200 || .907 || 8.8 || 2.2 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
| align="left" | Portland
| 16 || 16 || 30.8 || .453 || .286 || .796 || 6.7 || 1.9 || .9 || .8 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| align="left" | Portland
| 3 || 3 || 34.7 || .483 || .000 || .750 || 8.3 || 2.7 || .3 || 2.3 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
| align="left" | Portland
| 6 || 1 || 14.3 || .667 || .000 || .800 || 4.0 || .8 || .7 || .7 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 51 || 46 || 28.8 || .452 || .319 || .802 || 7.4 || 1.9 || .9 || .9 || 12.1