Arvydas Sabonis

by Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent

Arvydas Sabonis had the best all-around game of any big man over the past 25 years.

Unfortunately, by the time he came to the NBA at the age of 30, he had suffered through serious knee and Achilles tendon injuries and wasn’t the player he once was.

Sabonis earned a reputation as the “best big man in the world” while playing in the Soviet Union during the 1980’s. He led the Soviets to a Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics, defeating a U.S. Team led by David Robinson, Danny Manning and Mitch Richmond along the way.

The Portland Trailblazers selected Sabonis with the 24th pick in the 1986 NBA draft, but due to the political climate he wasn’t able to play in the United States. However, after suffering the first of many knee injuries in 1986, he was allowed to rehabilitate with the Trailblazers’ training staff.

In between rehab sessions, “Sabas” played pick-up games with many of the Blazers. His outlet passes and shot-blocking presence were the perfect compliment to Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter, and the Portland guards were giddy over the prospect of playing with the great Lithuanian.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, Sabonis chose to play ball in Spain instead of coming to the United States. Over the next six years he led his team to two European Championships and was named European Player of the Year four times.

Finally, in 1995, with nothing left to prove to the rest of the world, the center known as “the best big man in the world” came to the NBA.

The Sabas who joined the Trailblazers wasn’t the same player who had dominated David Robinson in the 1988 Olympics. After several major injuries, it took him an eternity to make his way up the court and at times it seemed as if he were playing on one leg. Still, he was one of the better big men in the league.

There was nothing Sabonis couldn’t do on the court. At 7-foot-3, 280 pounds, he was an immovable force in the low post, the one center in the league Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t push around. He used his size to control the defensive backboards and pester opposing players who drove the lane.

Sabas was as technically sound as they come. He possessed an impressive array of post moves and the ability to finish with either hand. He was also equally adept at knocking down an 18-footer.

The most impressive aspect of Sabonis’s game was his brilliant passing. Early in his career with the Blazers, they ran the offense through him in the high post, where he’d palm the ball like a grapefruit before throwing a nonchalant, behind-the-back bounce pass to a cutting teammate. He also sparked Portland’s fastbreak with one-handed outlet passes which seemed to always hit his guards in stride.

The Blazers made the playoffs in each of Sabonis’ seven seasons with the team, coming with one game of the NBA Finals in 2000 before succumbing to the eventual champion Lakers in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals. He averaged 12 points and 7.3 rebounds over his NBA career, while playing just 24 minutes per game. Projected over 40 minutes, those are all-star numbers. 

Many NBA enthusiasts refer to Sabonis’s career in terms of “what could have been”. Portland fans are quick to say there’s no telling how many championships the Blazers would have won if Sabonis had joined the team in the late 80’s, with a nucleus of Drexler, Porter, Buck Williams and Jerome Kersey.

We should all be grateful for the opportunity to have seen Arvydas Sabonis play. Even in his diminished capacity, it was evident that he was one of the greatest big men to ever man the hardwood and his extraordinary combination of size, talent and skill made him a thrill to watch.

That’s why we’re sending Arvydas Sabonis some OLD SCHOOL LOVE.