Arvydas Sabonis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arvydas Sabonis
	Sabonis in 1996
	center
Personal information
Born	December 19, 1964 (age 56); Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Lithuanian
Listed 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
1989–1992	Fórum Valladolid
1992–1995	Real Madrid
1995–2001	Portland Trail Blazers
2001–2002	Žalgiris
2002–2003	Portland Trail Blazers
2003–2004	Žalgiris
Career highlights and awards
	Titles FIBA Club World Cup champion (1986); EuroLeague champion (1995); 3× USSR League champion (1985–1987); 2× Spanish ACB League champion (1993, 1994); Lithuanian LKL champion (2004); Spanish Cup winner (1993); Awards FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991); 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008); 6× Euroscar Player of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999); 2× Mr. Europa Player of the Year (1985, 1997); 4× Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year (1984–1986, 1996); EuroBasket MVP (1985); EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1995); EuroLeague Regular Season MVP (2004); EuroLeague Top 16 MVP (2004); All-EuroLeague First Team (2004); Italian All-Star Game MVP (1992); 2× Spanish League Finals MVP (1993, 1994); 2× Spanish League MVP (1994, 1995); 2× EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1986, 1995); NBA All-Rookie First Team (1996); No. 11 retired by Žalgiris Kaunas;
Career NBA statistics
Points	5,629 (12.0 ppg)
Rebounds	3,436 (7.3 rpg)
Assists	964 (2.1 apg)
Men's basketball
Summer Olympic Games
Competitor for Soviet Union
Competitor for Lithuania
FIBA World Cup
Competitor for Soviet Union
FIBA EuroBasket
Competitor for Soviet Union
Competitor for Lithuania
European Championship for Cadets
Competitor for Soviet Union

Arvydas Romas Sabonis (born December 19, 1964) is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of all time, he won the Euroscar six times, and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), in the United States. Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games, while representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until the age of 31, in 1995.

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 ft 3 in (2.21 m) 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. At that time, he was the tallest player to ever enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; one year later, he would be surpassed by 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson. On October 24, 2011, Sabonis was voted as the next President of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, replacing Vladas Garastas, who had led the LBF since 1991. He resigned from the position on October 2, 2013, but came back to it on October 10, 2013.

Images for kids

Sabonis, a member of the Soviet Union national team, taking on David Robinson and Danny Manning, during the semifinal clash with Team USA, at the 1988 Olympics. The Soviets scored an 82–76 win, with Sabonis contributing 13 points and 13 rebounds.