When and where was Arvydas Sabonis born?
Arvydas Romas Sabonis was born on the 19th of December 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuania. He began playing basketball at age 13 while living under Soviet rule.
Questions about Arvydas Sabonis
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What teams did Arvydas Sabonis play for during his professional career?
Arvydas Sabonis made his professional club debut in 1981 with Žalgiris before joining Real Madrid in 1992. He also played for Fórum Valladolid in Spain's Liga ACB league and finished his career with Žalgiris again in 2005.
Why was Arvydas Sabonis delayed from entering the NBA until 1995?
Soviet authorities prevented him from playing in the United States for nearly a decade after he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in 1985. Political restrictions blocked plans to have him study at Louisiana State University and delayed his move to Portland until 1995.
Which international tournaments did Arvydas Sabonis win gold medals in?
Arvydas Sabonis led the Soviet Union to a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea. He also won gold at the 1982 FIBA World Championship and earned EuroBasket MVP honors during another gold medal run in 1985.
When was Arvydas Sabonis inducted into basketball halls of fame?
On the 20th of August 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Four years later on the 4th of April 2011, he was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame before being officially inducted on the 12th of August 2011.