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Domantas Sabonis (; born May 3, 1996) is a Lithuanian–American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player for the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) and the
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
n
national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
. Son of the
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player Arvydas Sabonis, Sabonis is a two-time
All-NBA Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
member, three-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
, and has led the league in rebounds thrice. Sabonis started his career in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
with Unicaja Málaga. He then moved to the United States and played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for the
Gonzaga Bulldogs The Gonzaga Bulldogs (), also known unofficially as the Zags, are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Gonzaga competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
. After being drafted 11th overall in the 2016 NBA draft by the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
, Sabonis was traded to the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
on draft night, spending his rookie season with the team before being traded to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
in 2017. He played five seasons for the Pacers and was named an All-Star twice during his tenure. In 2022, Sabonis was traded to the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
for rising star Tyrese Haliburton, in a move considered shocking to many. Named to his first All-NBA team and third All-Star selection in 2023, he led the Kings alongside De'Aaron Fox to the third seed in the 2023 NBA playoffs and helped them break their NBA record 16-season playoff drought.


Early life

Domantas was born on May 3, 1996, in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, when his father, Arvydas Sabonis, was playing for the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. His mother is Ingrida Mikelionytė, the first Miss Lithuania in 1988. He has two older brothers, Žygis (born 1991) and Tautvydas (born 1992), and a younger sister, Aušrinė (born 1997). When Arvydas was once asked if any of his sons will follow his footsteps in basketball, he singled out Domantas due to his stubbornness, and because he is
left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...
. In 2004, Domantas' father retired from basketball, and the whole family moved from Portland to
Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
, Spain.


College career


Freshman season (2014–2015)

Sabonis declined a Unicaja offer of a three-year $630,000 contract in order to play in the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
. He committed to
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
squad
Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...
prior to the 2014–15 season. On November 14, 2014, Sabonis solidly debuted by scoring 14 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing 2 assists, along with one steal and one block in 20 minutes. On February 3, 2015, after averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per 26 minutes he was named
West Coast Conference The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting o ...
Player of the Week. After a stellar regular season with Gonzaga, Sabonis was named to the All-WCC Second team, as well as to the WCC All-Freshman team. On March 10, the Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the
BYU Cougars The BYU Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah. BYU fields 21 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity athletic teams. They are a member of the Big 12 C ...
91–75 and won the WCC Tournament Title for the third straight time. Sabonis was one of the best players in the game with 15 points and 6 rebounds. During
March Madness The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
, Sabonis led Gonzaga to the Sweet 16 with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Gonzaga beat
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
to make it to the Elite Eight, Gonzaga's first regional final with Mark Few as head coach and second overall. Sabonis scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds during that game. The season ended with a loss to the future champions
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
and Sabonis was named to the NCAA Tournament South Regional All-Tournament team. In his first NCAA season, Sabonis averaged 9.7 points, along with Gonzaga team highs of 66.8% field-goal percentage and 7.1 rebounds. On April 4, Few told
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
that Sabonis planned to return for his sophomore season at Gonzaga, adding that Sabonis never seriously considered declaring for the 2015 NBA draft.


Sophomore season (2015–2016)

On August 13, 2015, ESPN placed Sabonis 20th in its NCAA players rankings heading for the 2015–16 season, describing him as "one of the nation's best, and edgiest, rebounders". Sabonis began his second NCAA season with an outstanding career-high performance of 26 points (FG: 12/13, FT: 2/2); he also added 7 rebounds in a 91–52 win over Northern Arizona. On December 19, Sabonis set a new career high in points and rebounds, scoring 36 points (FG: 12/16, FT: 12/15) and grabbing 16 rebounds; his team won 86–79. The Zags' head coach Mark Few said that he never had seen a monster line like that for a Zag. Two days later, Sabonis improved on another career high by dishing out 6 assists; he also scored 23 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and led Gonzaga past the
Pepperdine Waves The Pepperdine Waves are the athletics teams of Pepperdine University, located outside the city of Malibu, California. They compete at the NCAA Division I, Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. The school is a me ...
99–73. On January 2, 2016, he was just one point shy of his scoring record with 35 points; he also added 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks in a thrilling come-from-behind victory in OT versus the San Francisco Dons 102–94. On January 9, Sabonis once again improved his rebounds record by grabbing 17 rebounds, and adding 28 points, 3 steals, 3 blocks and 4 assists, his team won 85–74. After the game, the Bulldogs head coach Mark Few said: "Sabonis, none of us can take for granted the type of year he is having... Such consistency, it's amazing". On January 21, nearly posted a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and a career-high 7 assists. Two days later, Sabonis grabbed a new career high of 20 rebounds, as well as 12 points and 2 assists. He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the
Naismith Trophy The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and is named in honor of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded to the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship. The ...
on February 11. On March 1, he was included into the First-team All- WCC. Two days later, Sabonis received CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. On March 17, Sabonis began his second
March Madness The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
appearance by leading his team past the Seton Hall Pirates 68–52 to the Round of 32, scoring 21 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and making 4 assists, despite having a flu. On March 19, he helped his team to advance into the Sweet 16 stage with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, crushing the third-seeded
Utah Utes The Utah Utes are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City. The athletic department is named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans in the Unite ...
82–59. Moreover, he limited his direct opponent and one of the top prospects Jakob Pöltl to just 5 points and 4 rebounds. Following it, Sabonis was the most efficient post-up player left in the NCAA tournament. Despite his yet another monster performance of 19 points, 17 rebounds (7 offensive) and 5 blocks on March 25, his journey was stopped by the
Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East ...
during the final match moments, losing 60–63. In his second NCAA season Sabonis almost doubled his every single statistical line comparing with the previous season. During the March Madness, his averages were 19.6 points, 14.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.3 blocks. On March 29, Sabonis was named to the CBS College Basketball All-America Third-team, along with Ben Simmons,
Brandon Ingram Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2016 N ...
, Jamal Murray and Yogi Ferrell. Sabonis also was one of the finalists for the
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate center. Following the success of the Bob Cousy Award which had been awarded sinc ...
. In early April 2016, several U.S. media reports indicated that Sabonis would declare himself eligible for the 2016 NBA draft and would hire an
agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
, marking the end of his career at Gonzaga. On April 20, he signed with Jason Ranne and Greg Lawrence of Wasserman Media Group for representation in the NBA draft. Prior to the draft, Sabonis rejected the offer to participate in NBA Draft Combine. Instead, he participated in four pre-draft workouts with the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
,
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
,
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
and
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
.


Professional career


Unicaja (2012–2014)

Despite being only a 16-year-old, on September 5, 2012, Sabonis debuted for Unicaja Málaga against
Cibona Zagreb Košarkaški klub Cibona, commonly referred to as Cibona Zagreb or simply Cibona, is a men's professional basketball sports club, club based in Zagreb, Croatia. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the ABA League JTD, Adriatic Basketba ...
. He was later loaned to Clínicas Rincón for the 2012–13 season. He returned to Málaga for the 2013–14 season and debuted in the
Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...
on October 13, 2013, becoming the youngest Unicaja player to debut in the ACB (17 years, 5 months and 10 days). On October 18, Sabonis debuted in the
EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...
against Olympiacos Piraeus. In February 2014, he finished in the top 10 for the 2013 FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award voting. His best ACB game came on May 3, when he scored 13 points on 100% shooting. On May 10, Sabonis helped Unicaja's junior team win the Spain Youth Basketball League silver medal. In the final game, he recorded 14 points and eight rebounds. In January 2015, he finished in the top 5 for the 2014 FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award voting. During his time with Unicaja, he never signed a professional contract with salary in order to remain eligible for the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
.


Oklahoma City Thunder (2016–2017)


2016–2017 season

Sabonis was selected 11th overall by the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
in the 2016 NBA draft. He was traded to the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
along with Ersan İlyasova and Victor Oladipo for Serge Ibaka on draft night. He did not participate in the 2016 NBA Summer League in order to join the
Lithuania men's national basketball team The Lithuania men's national basketball team () represents Lithuania in international basketball competitions. They are controlled by the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Lithuania. Despite Lithuania's small ...
training camp. On August 12, 2016, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Thunder. He made his debut for the Thunder in their season opener as their starting power forward on October 26, recording five points and four rebounds in 16 minutes, in a 103–97 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. He became the first Thunder player to debut as a starting five member since
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
. On November 7, he recorded season highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 97–85 win over the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
. On December 23, he set a new season high with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting in a 117–112 win over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. On January 25, 2017, he was named in the World Team for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge. Six days later, he matched his season high with 13 rebounds and had 13 points in a 108–94 loss to the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On February 18, he scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting in only 12 minutes to help Team World defeat Team USA 150–141 in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend. Sabonis transitioned to a bench role in early March, following the acquisition of Taj Gibson at the trade deadline. In his debut season, he was a member of the starting five in 66 of 81 games. The Thunder qualified for the
NBA Playoffs The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held afte ...
as the sixth seed, but they were eliminated 4–1 by the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
in the first round; Sabonis played just six minutes in the series, as he managed court time in just two of the five games. Upon concluding his rookie season, Sabonis indicated that he would participate in the 2017 NBA Summer League in preparation for
EuroBasket 2017 EuroBasket 2017 was the 40th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe and held between 31 August and 17 September 2017. Beginning from 2017, the continental championships take place every four years with a similar ...
.


Indiana Pacers (2017–2022)


2017–18 season

On July 6, 2017, Sabonis was traded, along with Victor Oladipo, to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
in exchange for
Paul George Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the ...
. Due to the unexpected trade, he not only missed the 2017 NBA Summer League, but was also ruled out from representing the Lithuanian national team during
EuroBasket 2017 EuroBasket 2017 was the 40th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe and held between 31 August and 17 September 2017. Beginning from 2017, the continental championships take place every four years with a similar ...
. In his debut for the Pacers in their season opener on October 18, Sabonis had 16 points and seven rebounds in a 140–131 win over the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. On October 29, he had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while going 9-of-9 from the field in a 97–94 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. Two days later, he recorded a then career-high 16 rebounds, in addition to 12 points and five assists, in a 101–83 win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. On November 2, he recorded a then career-high six assists in addition to 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 124–107 win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
. On December 18, he had a career-high three blocked shots to go with 17 points and eight rebounds in a 109–97 win over the Nets. On January 3, 2018, he had a then career-high 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting in a 122–101 loss to the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. While participating in the 2018 NBA Rising Stars Challenge, Sabonis recorded 13 points, 11 rebounds and three assists to help Team World defeat Team USA 155–124. On April 8, he scored a then career-high 30 points in a 123–117 win over the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. In Game 5 of the Pacers' first-round
playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
series against the Cavaliers, Sabonis scored a then-playoff career-high 22 points in a 98–95 loss.


2018–19 season

On September 26, 2018, the Pacers picked up the team option on Sabonis' contract. On October 31, he was 12-for-12 shooting while matching his then career-high with 30 points in a 107–101 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. On November 19, he had 19 points, nine rebounds and a then career-high nine assists in a 121–94 win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. In December 2018, he was chosen as the Lithuanian Player of the Year by the
Lithuanian Basketball Federation The Lithuanian Basketball Federation (), also known as LKF, is a national governing body of basketball in Lithuania. It was founded in 1936, but due to Occupation of the Baltic states, Soviet occupation, the federation disappeared from FIBA. It w ...
. On March 19, 2019, he tied a then career-high 16 rebounds in a 115–109 loss to the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
.


2019–20 season

On October 21, 2019, one day before start of the 2019–20 season, Sabonis signed a four-year, $77 million contract extension with the Pacers. On November 1, Sabonis recorded a then career-high 17 rebounds in a 102–95 win versus the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
. On November 18, Sabonis recorded a then career-high 18 rebounds, and helping his team to get a 115–86 victory versus the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. In December 2019, he was chosen as the Lithuanian Player of the Year for a second consecutive year. On December 15, 2019, Sabonis got his 12th consecutive double-double and improved previous Pacers record for the most consecutive double-doubles, which was held by Troy Murphy since 2009. On January 21, 2020, Sabonis became the first Lithuanian in the NBA history to record a triple-double with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the Pacers won 115–107 over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. On January 26, he recorded his second triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and a then career-high 11 assists. On January 30, Sabonis was chosen to the
2020 NBA All-Star Game The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was an Exhibition game, exhibition basketball game that was played on February 16, 2020, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 NBA season, 2019–20 season. It was the 69th edition of the NBA All- ...
after averaging 18 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and became only the second Lithuanian to be chosen as an
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
, the other being
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas Zydrunas Ilgauskas (; ; born June 5, 1975) is a Lithuanian-born American former professional basketball player who played the center (basketball), center position. The Ilgauskas played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Asso ...
. Sabonis also participated in the
NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge The NBA Skills Challenge (officially named the Kia Skills Challenge) is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, All-Star Weekend. ...
in 2020 and was just 1 shot away from the trophy, after being defeated only in the final by Bam Adebayo. During his first NBA All-Star Game appearance, Sabonis scored 2 points, grabbed 6 rebounds per 19 minutes and helped Team LeBron to win 157–155. Sabonis participated in the NBA 2K Players Tournament during the coronavirus pandemic, playing against Montrezl Harrell, a center for the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
in an NBA 2K20 basketball game as their respective basketball teams. The Pacers finished as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 45–28 record after seeding games in the Orlando "bubble". Sabonis did not participate after leaving the team in July to treat plantar fasciitis in his left foot (after trying to play through the injury). Sabonis focused on rehab and was not added to the Pacers' active playoff roster during their 4–0 first round series loss against the Heat. Having not played a game since the NBA shutdown in March, he finished with averages of 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. In November 2020, he was chosen as the Lithuanian Player of the Year for a third consecutive year.


2020–21 season

On December 23, 2020, Sabonis started the 2020–21 season with a new career-high of 32 points, along with 13 rebounds, five assists, and one steal, and led his team to a 121–107 victory versus the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. On December 27, 2020, Sabonis put up 19 points and 10 rebounds, alongside a game-winning layup, in a 108–107 win over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. On January 9, 2021, Sabonis achieved his new rebounding record by having a double-double of 28 points, 22 rebounds, and 4 assists (this way he became the first player of the Pacers to have a double-double of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in 3 quarters), but his team lost 125–117 to the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. On January 22, 2021, Sabonis set his career's new record of steals by having five of them, along with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, his team won 120–118 in OT versus the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
after he made a last shot to tie the game in the fourth quarter. On February 3, 2021, Sabonis improved his scoring record by having 33 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in just 3 quarters, however his team lost to the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
110–130. On February 17, 2021, Sabonis once again improved his scoring record by having a triple-double of 36 points, 17 rebounds, and ten assists, leading his team to a 134–128 victory versus the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
, becoming the first player of the Pacers to have at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single NBA game. On February 26, he was named an
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
, as an injury replacement to
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
. At the 2021 All-Star Game, Sabonis beat Nikola Vučević to win the Skills Challenge. On March 17, Sabonis logged his sixth triple-double of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 124–115 loss to the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
, setting a new franchise record for the most number of triple-doubles in a season. After missing six games due to a back injury, Sabonis returned to action on May 1. He logged a triple-double at the first half and finished the game with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists across 30 minutes in a 152–95 win over the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
, becoming the third player in league history to log a triple-double by halftime while also making history as the only player to record a 20-point triple-double at the break. In his efforts, Sabonis helped the Pacers record the biggest road win in league history and the second-biggest win in franchise history. On May 11, Sabonis logged his ninth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 13 rebounds and a then career-high 15 assists in a 103–94 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
.


2021–22 season

On January 5, 2022, Sabonis logged his fifteenth career triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 129–121 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Four days later, Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting, propelling Indiana to a 125–113 win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. Moreover, it was the highest NBA scoring performance by a Lithuanian, surpassing the previous record held by Linas Kleiza since 2008.


Sacramento Kings (2022–present)


2021–22 season

On February 8, 2022, with the Pacers looking to rebuild, Sabonis was traded along with Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick to the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. The next day, Sabonis debuted for the Kings in a 132–119 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
, logging 22 points in addition to 14 rebounds and five assists across 32 minutes of play. On March 9, he was suspended for one game without pay for making contact with a game official.


2022–23 season

On December 21, Sabonis recorded his 20th career triple-double with 13 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists in a 134–120 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. The next game, Sabonis had his second consecutive triple-double with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 125–111 loss against the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
. On December 28, Sabonis scored a then season-high 31 points, along with 10 rebounds and five assists in a 127–126 win over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. The next game, Sabonis had 28 points on 12-for-12 shooting along with 11 rebounds and eight assists in a 126–125 win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. On January 13, 2023, Sabonis recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists in a 139–114 win over the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. Sabonis became the first player in Kings history to record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game since
Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
in 1965. On February 1, Sabonis scored a season-high 34 points on 15-of-20 shooting from the field, along with 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in a 119–109 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On February 2, 2023, Sabonis was named to his third NBA All-Star team as a reserve for the Western Conference. He, along with De'Aaron Fox, became the first Kings players to be named All-Stars since DeMarcus Cousins in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
. On February 23, first game after the All-Star Weekend, Sabonis logged a triple-double with 18 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in a 133–116 victory over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. On March 13, Sabonis had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season in a 133–124 loss against the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. He also tied
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
for 19th place in career triple-doubles with 28. On April 9, Sabonis ended the regular season as the league leader in rebounds, averaging 12.3 rebounds per game. He also achieved career-highs in field goal percentage (.615 FG%) and assists per game (7.3). On May 10, 2023, Sabonis was named to his first
All-NBA team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
, making the third team with Kings teammate De'Aaron Fox. This is the first Sacramento-era season where multiple Kings players made the All-NBA team. On April 17, he scored a playoff career-high 24 points in the Kings' 114–106 victory against the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
. At one point during the game, he grabbed
Draymond Green Draymond Jamal Green (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the Power forward (basketball), power forward pos ...
's leg and was stomped on the chest by Green afterwards. As a result, Sabonis was assessed with a
technical foul In basketball, a technical foul (colloquially known as a "T" or a "tech") is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between opposing players on the court, or is a foul by a ...
. The Kings were eliminated in seven games. On July 2, 2023, Sabonis and the Kings terminated the remaining one-season contract worth $19.4 million and signed a five-year contract extension worth $217 million. This is the most profitable contract in Lithuania's sport history.


2023–24 season

On December 18, Sabonis logged the 35th triple-double of his career with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 143–131 win over the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
. On January 3, 2024, Sabonis recorded a triple-double with 22 points, a then season-high 23 rebounds and 12 assists in a 138–135 double overtime win over the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
. On January 29, 2024, Sabonis scored 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds and delivered 5 assists in a 103–94 win against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. He became the second player in NBA history with at least 20 points, 25 rebounds, five assists and a shooting percentage of 90% or better. The other was
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
, who did it six times. On February 13, Sabonis posted his 50th career triple-double with 35 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists and 3 blocks in a 130–125 loss against the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. On March 12, Sabonis recorded his 47th consecutive double-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a 129–94 win over the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. He surpassed
Jerry Lucas Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State University, and 1960 Olympic medal, gold medal Olympian and international player be ...
' previous record of 46 to become the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
franchise leader in consecutive double-doubles in a season. On March 25, Sabonis had 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to become the fifth player in NBA history with at least 25 triple-doubles in a season, joining Nikola Jokic,
Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member o ...
, Wilt Chamberlain and
Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
. He also posted his 54th consecutive double-double, breaking a tie with Kevin Love for the longest streak since the 1976–77 merger between the NBA and ABA. On April 9, this streak would end as Sabonis had 8 points and 13 rebounds in a 112-105 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, peaking at 61 consecutive double-doubles.


2024–25 season

On June 14, 2024, the Sacramento Kings announced that Sabonis would switch to No. 11 jersey to honor his father, Arvydas Sabonis, who wore the same number during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sacramento Kings had previously retired No. 11 to honor
Bob Davies Robert Edris Davies (January 15, 1920 – April 22, 1990) was an American professional basketball player. Alongside Bobby Wanzer he formed one of the best backcourt duos in the National Basketball Association's early years. Davies and Wanzer le ...
. However, Davies' children gave their blessing for Sabonis to use the retired number. On October 26, Sabonis posted his 59th career triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists in 131–127 loss against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. He tied
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
for the 10th-most triple-doubles in NBA history. On November 6, Sabonis posted a triple-double with 17 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 122–107 win over the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. He became the first player in NBA history to post a triple-double without a missed field goal, a turnover, and a foul. On December 12, Sabonis recorded a season-high 32 points and 20 rebounds on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line in a 111–109 victory over the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
. On January 10, 2025, Sabonis logged 23 points and a career-high 28 rebounds in a 114–97 win over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. On February 13, Sabonis tied his career-high with 28 rebounds, along with 22 points and five assists in a 140–133 overtime loss against the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
. On April 11, Sabonis had 19 points, 16 rebounds and five assists in 101–100 loss against the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. He became the sixth player since the ABA/NBA merger to have 60 or more double-doubles for three consecutive seasons, joining
Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone Sr. (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A ...
, John Stockton,
Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...
,
Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is considered one of the greatest power f ...
and Dwight Howard.


National team career


Junior national team

Sabonis made his international debut with the Lithuania U-16 national team at the 2012 FIBA U-16 European Championship, averaging 14.1 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He grabbed a tournament-high 27 rebounds against Poland on July 27. In 2013, at 17 years of age, Sabonis played for the Lithuania U-18 team in 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He averaged 14 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and was tournament leader in rebounds per game. While playing against
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, he scored 22 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. Lithuania won the game 74–70 in OT. In 2014, coach Jonas Kazlauskas included Sabonis on the preliminary list for the
Lithuania men's national basketball team The Lithuania men's national basketball team () represents Lithuania in international basketball competitions. They are controlled by the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Lithuania. Despite Lithuania's small ...
. In 2014, D.Sabonis played in the
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The FIBA U18 EuroBasket is the new name for the FIBA U18 European Championship, originally known as the FIBA European Championship for Juniors. It is a men's youth basketball competition that was inaugurated with the 1964 edition. It was held bi ...
for the second time. This time he averaged 15.9 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. On July 9, 2015, he was invited to join the Lithuania men's national team training camp for the first time. On July 15, by participating in 2015 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, Sabonis achieved the tournament rebounds record by grabbing 28 against Ukraine. He led the tournament at 13.2 rebounds per game.


Senior national team

On July 29, 2015, Sabonis debuted for the Lithuania men's national team in a game against
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, scoring 4 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Sabonis was the youngest player ever to play for the national team, beating Jonas Valančiūnas by a matter of days. Sabonis averaged 6 points and 5.9 rebounds during the preparation games phase, and was the team's second best rebounder after Valančiūnas. Sabonis played for
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
at EuroBasket 2015, winning a silver medal in his debut year. He also was a member of the Lithuanian Olympic national team during the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
, where he averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.


Personal life

Sabonis married Shashana Rosen on August 15, 2021, in
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (; ; Italian language, Italian: ''San Giovanni Capo Ferrato'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southe ...
, France; the wedding was officiated by a rabbi. They have three children: a son named Tiger, born on March 11, 2022, a daughter named Eleven Rose, born July 11, 2023, and a son named Tauras Levi, born in June, 2025. The family keeps
Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...
and eats only
kosher food Kosher foods are foods that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of '' kashrut'' ( dietary law). The laws of ''kashrut'' apply to food derived from living creatures and kosher foods are restricted to certain types of mammals, birds and fish ...
. In April 2023, his wife announced that Sabonis was in the process of converting to
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
. Sabonis and his wife launched a wine brand in November 2024, dubbed ''Ones by Sabonis''.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, 81 , , 66 , , 20.1 , , .399 , , .321 , , .657 , , 3.6 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .4 , , 5.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 74 , , 19 , , 24.5 , , .514 , , .351 , , .750 , , 7.7 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .4 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 74 , , 5 , , 24.8 , , .590 , , .529 , , .715 , , 9.3 , , 2.9 , , .6 , , .4 , , 14.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 62 , , 62 , , 34.8 , , .540 , , .254 , , .723 , , 12.4 , , 5.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , 18.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 62 , , 62 , , 36.0 , , .535 , , .321 , , .732 , , 12.0 , , 6.7 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , 20.3 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 47 , , 46 , , 34.7 , , .580 , , .324 , , .740 , , 12.1 , , 5.0 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 18.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, 15 , , 15 , , 33.6 , , .554 , , .235 , , .743 , , 12.3 , , 5.8 , , .9 , , .3 , , 18.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, 79 , , 79 , , 34.6 , , .615 , , .373 , , .742 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 12.3* , , 7.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 19.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 35.7 , , .594 , , .379 , , .704 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 13.7* , , 8.2 , , .9 , , .6 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, 70 , , 70 , , 34.7 , , .590 , , .417 , , .754 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 13.9* , , 6.0 , , .7 , , .4 , , 19.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 646 , , 506 , , 30.8 , , .560 , , .347 , , .729 , , 10.7 , , 4.9 , , .8 , , .5 , , 16.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 3 , , 0 , , 16.2 , , .571 , , , , .500 , , 3.7 , , .7 , , .0 , , .0 , , 3.3


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2017 NBA playoffs, 2017 , style="text-align:left;",
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, 2 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018 NBA playoffs, 2018 , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 7 , , 0 , , 23.7 , , .581 , , .143 , , .778 , , 4.6 , , .7 , , .1 , , .3 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2019 NBA playoffs, 2019 , style="text-align:left;",
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 24.0 , , .414 , , .250 , , .643 , , 7.3 , , 4.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2023 NBA playoffs, 2023 , style="text-align:left;",
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
, 7 , , 7, , 34.7 , , .495 , , .200 , , .571 , , 11.0 , , 4.7 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , 16.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 20 , , 7 , , 25.6 , , .503 , , .176 , , .672 , , 7.0 , , 2.7 , , .8 , , .5 , , 12.0


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team, Gonzaga , 38 , , 1 , , 21.6 , , .668 , , , , .664 , , 7.1 , , .9 , , .4 , , .3 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team, Gonzaga , 36 , , 31 , , 31.9 , , .611 , , .357 , , .769 , , 11.8 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , .9 , , 17.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 74 , , 32 , , 26.6 , , .632 , , .357 , , .729 , , 9.4 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , .6 , , 13.5


See also

* List of European basketball players in the United States * List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders * List of NBA career triple-double leaders * List of NBA annual rebounding leaders


References


External links


Euroleague.net profileGonzaga Bulldogs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabonis, Domantas 1996 births Living people 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players American men's basketball players American people of Lithuanian descent Baloncesto Málaga players Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Portland, Oregon CB Axarquía players Centers (basketball) Converts to Judaism Jewish basketball players Jews from Oregon Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball players Indiana Pacers players Liga ACB players Lithuanian men's basketball players 21st-century Lithuanian sportsmen Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Spain NBA All-Stars NBA players from Lithuania Oklahoma City Thunder players Olympic basketball players for Lithuania Orlando Magic draft picks Power forwards Sacramento Kings players American expatriate basketball people in Spain 21st-century American sportsmen