Arvydas Sabonis

Lithuanian basketball legend and center who dominated European basketball before NBA success, considered one of greatest big men ever to play the game

Arvydas Romas Sabonis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1964. He is considered by most European basketball experts as the greatest center the continent has ever produced — his combination of 7ft 3in size with the passing ability of a guard, reliable mid-range shooting, post scoring and shot-blocking was unprecedented. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in 1986 and tore the other in 1989 — injuries that permanently diminished his mobility and prevented him from joining the NBA until he was 31. Portland Trail Blazers had drafted him in 1986 but did not get him until 1995. His NBA career — played on two destroyed ankles after age 31 — still produced 12.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game with exceptional passing. He won Olympic gold with the USSR at Seoul 1988 and led Lithuania to the bronze medal at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. He won three EuroBasket championships. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. NBA coaches who faced him in international play in the 1980s described him as better than any center in the NBA at the time — before the injuries. His career represents the most significant individual basketball talent the Cold War era denied from reaching its full potential.

Skilled passing center, excellent shooter, high basketball IQ

Bridge between European and NBA basketball, influenced modern center play

• NBA Playoffs regular
• EuroBasket champion 3x
• Olympic Gold Medal (USSR 1988)
• Hall of Fame (2011)