Arvydas Sabonis elected to Hall of Fame
More: http://www.interbasket.net/news/7753...-hall-of-fame/Lithuanian center, international basketball legend, and former Portland Trailblazer Arvydas Sabonis will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Fame in the class of 2011.
Already a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame (he joined with the 2010 class), Sabonis will be inducted into the hall as one of basketball’s most accomplished players and intriguing.
“Sabas” won multiple medals and titles, including Gold Medals in the 1988 Olympics (which helped spur the creation of the 1992 Dream Team), World Championship (1982), and a Eurobasket (1985).
Sabonis is a six-time European Player of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1997, 1999).
Sabonis was considered one of the best big men in the world back in the 1980s. In a time when international players were unknown and considered not good enough for the NBA, the Portland Trailblazers drafted the 7-3 center in 1986 draft with the 24th overall pick.
Sabonis chose to stay in Europe for nearly a decade when he joined the Blazers at age 31, after injuries to his legs and achilles had ravaged his body. No longer did he have his athleticism, Sabonis was still effective – using his massive ~300lb frame, instincts, behind-the-back passes and rolling hookshots.
Sabas deserverd it
Congrats for Sabas
A legend indeed and one of the greatest ballers ever to play the game
Congrats! Very well deserved!
Yeah, nobody in this class deserves it more than Sabonis. He is as skilled as players come. Unfortunately, because he came to the NBA in the twilight of his career, he won't get the recognition he deserves from the NBA fanboys in the media.
Sabonis...man, what skill. What talent. What athleticism and what a body. Players don't get much better than him, man.
Congrats Sabas! I'm very glad he got the appreciation he deserved.
burnstein
Deserved of course!
Die Liebe wird eine Krankheit, wenn man sie als eine Heilung sieht
Artificial Nature
Well worth it!!
Well deserve indeed!!!
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A very good read here on the subject.
Lately I've been reviewing many euro games from the 80's including some 15 or so of Sabas before his injury ( with Zalguiris and USSR).Originally Posted by mvblair
I recognize he had the physical and technical skills to have become one of the best centers of all time, in the same league ( at least) as Jabbar or Shaq and possibly Chamberlain. But what strikes me the most is the waste of talent and lack of focus in his first years, not going for the rebound in attack, limited moves when defended up close and a general bad attittude in the game which limited his impact on each game. After his injury, possibly being aware that he was not as potentially superior to his rivals as before, he was more effective and concentrated and in the 90's dominated Europe's game being fat and unable to jump like I've seen no o ther player do ( bearing in mind the best 3- 4 europlayers had gone to try their luck in the NBA) and in the NBA old, fat and not being able to jump, he was a good, effective center.
In this sense, Drazen Petrovic, not having as much ( physical) potential, was more dominant and won more titles, and became until the blossoming of Nowitzki, the best ever Euro player for his commitment to keep improving
What a shame his attittude and politics first and the injuries afterwards prevented us from seeing the ultimate player to fulfill his potential
Hi Carlos,
You mentioned that you watched about 15 games of Sabonis playing in his prime.
Where can I download those games?
I am a big fan and actually played against him one time. I wold like to see those games.
thanks,
blin
i do not regards NBA that much.
I since the man is already living god,adding another title is like stating obvious.
Hi Bling,
Lucky you to have played at that level! I suppose you played against him in his last years in Zalguiris.
It is my personal collection, not downloaded online
I played on a Lithuanian North American all-star team that toured Lithuania in 1989. We played against Zalgiris and five other teams.
How are the quality of your videos of Sabonis? I would love to some of his games while he was still in his prime. I wonder if he has copies of his old games.
That's great news for Lithuanian basketball
I would add Jasikevicius, too.That's great news for Lithuanian basketball
Some of the dvds are ok, the oldest are of medium quality. The oldest one I have is the final of the Junior World Cup he played back in 1983 in Majorca, it is the final against the USA ( players htere were Scott Skiles, John Sky Walker and others) and the semifinals of the European Championship played that same year between USSR and Spain.. commentaries both in spanish. Quality is medium
Before his injury I also have 4 games from '86: the final and semifinal of World Cup against Yugoslavia and USA ( both in spanish, good quality) and the final of Euroleague against Cibona of Petrovic ( good quality, commented in serb and a game played in Zagreb in the regular league between the same teams, quality medium- high commented also in Serb.
From '85, 3 games: final Korac between Zalguiris against Barcelona, commented in spanish, good quality. European championship of national teams played in 1985 USSR against Spain, in spanish, good quality, semifinal of that tournament played between USSR against Italy, in italian, good quality.
Also from season 86- 87 a Euroleague regular season game Zalguiris against Milan, but he was already injured, ok quality, commented in italian
Sabonis selected for HOF
I had long said that Sabonis would be nominated and selected for the Naismith HOF on his first year of eligibility. I was right. The great Sabonis has another honor to his name.
For the record, I also said that Sabonis would not play for Zalgiris the promised year after he retired from the NBA....so, obviously, I don't always get it right!!! lol...
There are dozens of articles abt the inductees, but I will link to just one. I chose this because it is a Portland Trail Blazer site and because I have always loved that pic of him holding the BB with one hand like that. Do you know how large your hand has to be to do that!!!!
Mega Jega congratulations to my most favorite player ever!!!! May you continue to live up to all the many honors you have received!!!
From your most fanatic state-side fan,
Janis
the Crazy Fan From Idaho
PS....I had hoped that Marciulionis would get selected at the same time, but he didn't make it this year. Next year....
Here's a wonderful blog entry by Brian Wheeler, the long-time radio announcer for the Blazers detailing a few personal anecdotes about Sabonis.
At the time Sabonis was playing for the NBA, the only access I had to those games was a static-filled radio broadcast making its way over the Cascade Mountains in Western Oregon over to Idaho. Wheels was my only window to those games and to the majestic Sabonis on the court. I love his insights and personal recollections of his years announcing for the Blazers.
Thanks, Wheels!!
CFFI
Janis
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