Arvydas Sabonis is a Lithuanian basketball player who has played in the major league of the USSR and European clubs for most of his career. The player has trophies of European and world championships, as well as Olympic gold awards.
early years
As a child, little Arvydas loved to wander around for hours. Parents tried in every way to interest the child, first enrolling him in a music school, and then giving him to the basketball section. Initially, the idea did not bring the expected results. However, after several months of playing basketball, Arvydas Sabonis, whose height was significantly higher than his peers, realized his advantages and later on the game began to bring him pleasure. Thus, the boy firmly decided what he intends to devote all his free time.
Seriously involved in basketball Arvydas Sabonis, whose growth is 213 cm, began at the age of 9. His first sports school was the Kaunas Academy, where the guy trained under the guidance of mentor Yuri Fedorov. In 1981, when Sabonis was 17 years old, he began to receive offers from professional clubs. In the same season, the player became the champion of Europe in the basketball youth team of the Soviet Union.
Which team did Arvydas Sabonis play for? The first club of young talent was the Lithuanian Zalgiris. Already in the debut match against Kalev, the team recruit managed to add 14 points. Later, Arvydas Sabonis helped Zalgiris achieve three of a series of championships in the championship of the USSR. The player’s high performance, which progressed with each match, soon allowed him to obtain the status of the best young player in Europe, according to the authoritative Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
In the 1980/1981 season, Arvydas Sabonis first went to the location of an adult basketball team. At the 1982 World Cup, the head coach of the national team of the USSR practically did not involve Arvydas in fights due to lack of experience. However, the player’s finest hour came in 1988, when Sabonis completely flashed his talents at the Olympics in Seoul.
Career in Europe
In 1985, Arvydas Sabonis received permission to leave the USSR. However, despite such a momentous event, the player decided to postpone the move to the United States. The choice of a basketball player fell on the Spanish championship, where he successfully spent as many as 6 seasons.
Arvidas’s first European team was Valladolid. Later, Sabonis defended the colors of the Real Madrid basketball club, in which he won the championship twice.
In the Spanish League, an average player scored 22.8 points for a duel, performed 13.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.6 block shots.
Lithuanian national team appearances
For the first time since the collapse of the USSR, Arvydas Sabonis was involved in matches for the national team of Lithuania at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. At the group stage, the team of Arvydas lost to the combined team of the republics of the former Soviet Union. Later, in the semifinals, the Lithuanian team was demoralized by opponents from the United States with a score of 76-127. Despite the unsuccessful performance at the international forum, Arvydas Sabonis was subsequently repeatedly involved in the games for the national team, where he played the role of one of the leaders.
NBA period
Arvydas twice received invitations from clubs of the National Basketball Association. However, before the collapse of the USSR, the player could not even dream of such options for the further development of a professional career.
The Lithuanian giant moved to the States only in 1995, signing a contract with the Potrland Blazers. Once in the NBA, Sabonis became the oldest legionnaire in the history of the tournament. At that time, the player turned 31 years old. However, this did not stop him from gaining a foothold in the team as one of the leaders in the first season. Almost no opponent could restrain Arvydas, whose growth was 2 meters and 21 centimeters. The player became the first representative of his role that he threw with amazing accuracy from behind a three-point arc.
For seven consecutive years, Arvydas’s high performance allowed the Blazers to reach the playoff stage. The best for Sabonis was the 1999/2000 season, when a team from Oregon, breaking into the final part of the tournament, lost to the Los Angeles Lakers only after seven matches of the series.
In the 2000/2001 season, the basketball player decided to leave the Blazers. Arvydas returned to his native Zalgiris. The high diligence of the player, the refusal to rest and recover from injuries allowed the club to firmly establish itself in the ranking of the 16 best Euroleague teams for several years. Officially, Sabonis ended his career in 2005, subsequently receiving the post of president of the Lithuanian team.
NBA Player Statistics
Arvydas Sabonis, whose team successfully performed in the NBA for seven consecutive seasons, secured the following indicators:
- participation in the games - 470;
- the amount of points scored - 5629 (an average of 12 points per match);
- Assists - 964 (21.1 per game);
- rebounds - 3436 (7.3 per duel);
- block shots - 494 (an average of 1.1 per match);
- interceptions - 370 (0.8 per game).
Personal life
What marital status does Arvydas Sabonis have? The wife of the basketball player, Ingrida, is a famous Lithuanian model who became the "Miss Vilnius" in 1988 and the first vice-miss in 1989. A married couple has a daughter and three sons.
The eldest son of the legendary basketball player Tautvydas spoke for the youth composition of the Spanish “Malaga”. The young man was repeatedly involved in the game for the national team of Lithuania. In 2011, a 19-year-old player, together with partners, won gold medals at the World Championship among youths. The other sons of Sabonis also represented the Lithuanian basketball team at junior tournaments in the same season.
Interesting Facts
As a child, Arvydas's parents decided to find a hobby for him, sending him to study at the music school on the accordion. However, in most cases, the boy did not reach the school. Therefore, his parents often found him in the nearest swamp, where he, along with his peers, caught frogs.
Thanks to appearances in the NBA for the union team and European teams, Arvydas Sabonis is fluent in English, Russian, Lithuanian, Polish and Spanish.
The main hobby of the player, in addition to basketball, is fishing. Sabonis does not miss a single opportunity to go to the reservoir in his spare time from work.
In 2011, during a basketball game in the Lithuanian league, Arvydas suffered a heart attack right on the court. Despite all the fears, the doctors confirmed that the aggravation did not carry serious threats to the athlete's life.
In 1997, the documentary film Sabas was released, the creator of which was the famous Lithuanian director Vytautas Landsbergis. The picture was about career development, facts from the personal life of Sabonis and his achievements.
Another cinema figure, Rimvydas ekavičius, decided to summarize Arvidas’s sporting achievements by releasing a documentary called “A Cut Above”. The film was presented to the general public in 2014.
Finally
Sabonis is recognized as the foremost Lithuanian athlete of the 20th century. In addition, he was repeatedly awarded the title of the most productive player in Europe. To this day, Sabonis is on the list of the best centers in the history of the NBA.