At least his son is doing great. Domantas really doing his dad's name justice. Its sad he couldnt play in the nba, surely would have been one of the greats.
Domantas is a good player, but Arvydas, before injuries, was something else. A unicorn indeed. The soviets forced him to play injured and he never fully recovered and still managed to play at an awesome level.
Lol, its not like Arvydas is miserable being the president of Kauno "Zalgiris" and also the president of the Lithuanian basketball federation, living in a mansion in his home country with his first miss Lithuania wife and 4 children... Domantas has a long way to go to at least smell his fathers success...
@@yeraysstigma9552 they would've gotten at least 2 imo with numerous final appearances. drexler got to the finals alone, with sabonis they would've been dominating both 80s along side magic and bird and 90s with jordan.
such a big "what if" the dude could've changed so much in the history of the NBA Jordan's legacy would be impacted too, we might have to make a video on this
@@modestasgendvilas4779 in sports, they were the typical bad guys. If they accepted to let Sabonis to play in the NBA sooner, he would have been an MVP-calibre player.
In case anyone wonders about the 1992 Lithuanian jerseys: The team had no money and it was unclear if they could even afford traveling to the Olympics In the end they managed to get 'The Grateful Dead' (Yes, the band) to sponsor them and they ended up playing with this super-colorful jersey with a Grateful Dead logo on it. Very cool story.
I remember that! 😁 That was so cool. Everyone was rooting for the Dream Team but I was rooting just as hard for the Lithuanian team in the bronze medal game as I was for USA in the gold medal game.
Arvydas today would be a combination of Jokic and Porzingis, and his son Domantas. He was big, strong, athletic, high IQ, good shooter, passer, dominated the boards. A hell of a player
Imagine Jokic playing in the 80s 😯. And now a 7''3 jokic. This player was insane, nothing could have stopped him in the 80s. He might have been able to change history and the showtime lakers dinasty. Old Kareem was definetly a shell of his former self on the defensive side, sabonis could have torched the lakers.
i guess you would agree then that that makes HOF european all time scorer leader(32 ppg 60% fg) Nick Galis a real semigod cause he took down offensively by himself the United Sovirt Union Team twice( euro cup finals 87,semifinals 89) against Sabonic,Martsullionis,Volkov,Tihonenko and a plethora of others scoring 45 and 40 points on them non stop with the hole soviet defense trying to stop him in vain???!!!!!!!
@@inthepaint2907 he wasn't on his way out, he planned to play another season for Zalgiris, he was preparing with a team for 2004-05, played friendlies, but some health problems started to bother him, he took some time off right before the start of the season, but never fully recovered, so decided do not to take risks
God this is painful. The part you left out is that if Sabonis came to the NBA when he was supposed to HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON CLYDE DREXLER'S BLAZERS. Think about that. Clyde's Blazers were one piece away from a dynasty, a big hole at center. If sabonis came to the NBA when he should have, 90's would have been blazers era. It's interesting to think mj's legacy might be totally different based off this one what if alone.
Jarek dont know if you remember but there was also a player from seton hall named Ramón Ramos, he was a PF, really good, he suffered a car crash and lost his carrer, and he was drafted by the blazers around that time line...
Blazers woulda beaten pistons and Jordan bulls. None of those teams had a dude who can guard Sabonis in the post, let alone the high post and perimeter where he can throw dimes and shoot jumpers. His defense woulda shut down laimbeer and isiah on his drives
When Sabonis finished playing in Nba he still played one more season in Kauno Zalgiris, his first team. He was voted the MVP of Euroleague that year at the age of 40!
Just to put some context: His first torn achilles injury, a career-ending one, happened in 1986, at age 21. And when he was in rehab, he fell downstairs at home, in a quite dubious incident. Then he stopped playing for 18 months, coming back in time to win the Olympics! He was 23, and already severely injured. So most "prime Sabas footage" is actually that of a seriously diminished player. There never was a prime, healthy, 25/28 years old Sabonis. Had Sabas and his body been treated fairly in his URSS years, he would have been a top 10 player ever. That I don´t have a doubt in my mind, nor anyone who watched him playing in the mid 80´s.
Great comment, some people miss the context! I think he would be guaranteed top 10, with a possibility to contend to GOAT. In today's NBA, he would be lining up MVP Trophies.
Reason why I agree with Bill Walton’s opinion on kidnapping him, and I was a Portland fan too. Well, a Rasheed Wallace fan. Dude was a beast and it’s a shame we couldn’t see him in his prime, Drazen Petrovic too.
My girlfriend is Lithuanian and says they love basketball over there. She said the soviet union had 4 out 5 starters from Lithuania some years. Tiny country with 4 starters for soviet union, crazy. BTW his wife is tiny so his kids are much shorter than him.
Andy ur literally only one of the basketball youtubers that pronounce players and clubs names correctly you either do a good research which is extremely easy to do or just are good at it lol either way I like that you take your channel videos professionally I always disliked how other ball youtubers doing videos about Doncic or other European player starts by saying "I will be pronouncing it really wrong but whatever bro here it goes" damn if u do videos like this take the time to google the pronouncation of players...
Been listening to Andy for years and I still cant believe he only has 300k subs. This guy deserves millions of subscribers for giving us quality contents
@@ericveneto1593 thank you!! I couldn't remember if it was him or Dan. DP didn't feel right in the original post, but when I saw your reply with Kilborn - bingo! Thanks, mate.
You can’t teach size and the guy was a legit 7’3 and not lanky. Imagine if he came into the NBA today as a 19 year old with world class training, medical staff, and equipment.
He would have been an All Star in the NBA had he started his career in the league in 86. I think anybody who knows basketball and saw him play back then wouldn’t deny that.
You don't even have to imagine. He still balled out at 31 with basically no knees. If he could do that at that point in his life, he would've changed history if he came sooner.
His greatness is slept on. I will never forget his playoff series battle against the Lakers in the year 2000. He played for Portland TrailBlazers and lost that series but it was practically the NBA championship because the Eastern Conference was not going to win the finals against either team in my opinion. Kobe and Shaq made one of the greatest comebacks ever in game 7. His game was the truth.
Amazing video! Sabonis is one of my all-time favourite players. I still think he is massively under appreciated and I try to put so many people on to him! Jokic before Jokic but 7'3 and way more athletic in his prime! Watched an NBA TV special where Brian Shaw (who played against him in 1986 on the US Team) said that he was just as athletic as David Robinson and that's who Sabonis was facing! Truly fascinated with Sabonis' game, he really was the orignial unicorn! Insane how far ahead of its time his game was! He would fit perfectly into any NBA roster! AMAZING video once again!
I remember watching this guy in the 1986 World Championships. Dude was 7'3" and could do it all. He could bang down low, post up, take it to the hole, and could even knock it down from anywhere on the court, even beyond the arc. To say nothing of the fact he could pass like a point guard. If he had been allowed to play in the NBA in his prime, he could have arguably been one of the greatest, if not the greatest, center ever. Oh, and one of the few players in the NBA who never backed down from Shaq, ever.
Portland has so much bad luck.. If they do get potential great players something happens to them like injuries.. Of they skipping on a potential great player in the draft they had right in their hands.. Portland Trailblazers..
I appreciate you doing a video on Sabonis. IMO, Sabonis had, and still has, the most underrated and unappreciated career in NBA history and overseas. Growing up in this era, i witnessed Sabonis put in work night after night. He had mind-boggling talent that you didn’t see from bigs back then. Nowadays, bigs with a similar skillset as Sabonis are a dime a dozen. Sabonis was ahead of his time. The numbers and his overall game just didn't make sense for a big in that era. He was an anomaly. He's Jokic before Jokic. He was, and still is, one of my favorite players. Off topic, @5:35, does anyone else think him and Steven Adams looked alike? 🤔
He was always our hero!! We were as glued to our TV screens when Sabuonis was playing for USSR team or Lithuania (before he went to paly for NBA). We knew in our hearts he was always playing for Lithuania - yes it was before Lituania gaining independence and it was an important issue for all of us. I was witching and fallowing Zalgiris since I was a little girl (now 43) I’m from Latvia with Lithuanian roots. Sabuonis is part of my and my brother’s childhood and he will always remain our hero, we were so proud of him!! And are for all the hard work he has put in to his game! He didn’t have it easy for sure, knowing the USSR style of treating people, sportsman and politics behind the scenes... Tebegyvuoja Žalgiris! Tebegyvuoja Sabuonis! ( Long live Žalgiris, Long live Sabuonis in Lithuanian) :) A fan from Riga, Latvia.
Brilliant video, thank you so much. I was blessed to have watched him in the early 1990s, he was a beast at both ends of the court, but a calming figure too. Lee 🇬🇧
What a great video! As a Lithuanian, i can say that you got all the facts right. Sabonis is very underrated player, not many people know how good he was before all the injuries
Got goosebumps when I saw all his accomplishments. It's so sad to hear the things that happened to him. I still can't believe he's destroying his competition despite suffering from his previous injuries. Truly a legend.
Always wondered this. Dude was remarkable. Had it all. Ran like a deer. Skills. Smarts. Great passer. Even when he was physically done and came to the NBA he was great. Wish we could have seen him at his prime. So fun to watch.
I gotta acknowledge that you know your stuff man. Good to see a video about arvydas. Most nba youtubers are not so deep with their knowledge or have the interest to know.He was one of the first Europeans who opened the way for others to come in the league. Could you make a video about Nick Gallis at some point? He was and still is the greatest Greek bball player and was set to play for Celtics but he was injured and let go. Auerbach has said that letting him go was his only big mistake ever.
If he made it to the league earlier when he was younger. This guy would of been a top 5 big ever for sure. A 7”3 300 pound athletic monster. He Could pass shoot,jump,run,block, dribble and a amazing defender. How do I know this? My great grandfather played basketball in Europe and played against the man once. He said he was the greatest player he had ever seen.
I was really surprised when my friend from Philippines, who is a bit older generation, knows Arvydas Sabonis as a player. This just goes on to show that Arvydas was a phenom and the whole world knew him.
Sabonis was not just a tall skinny center. He couldn't stop Shaq, but the fight was more fair because Sabonis had both height and bulk so he didn't get bullied as badly in the post.
@@ZachAttackIsBack I watcjed Sabonis play in the NBA and saw him in his prime. He was good. But match up with Shaq? Nobody matched up with Shaq. Yes, he wouldve made his mark in the NBA if he made it there in his prime before injuries. But saying he wouldve been a top 10 player of all time. Thats just hype.
Thanks for the video. I am from Lithuania and this video means a lot for me and my whole country. It's just really sad, because he got boo'ed off just because he was considered to be from SSRS and not Lithuania!
Great commentary and not many people are going to appreciate this " What if " along with Len Bias, he could do everything for a big man. Skills wise he was the truth but many injuries to his legs stopped him from being able to show NBA fans what he represented in his early career.
Its so funny because last month I thought about him a bit and was looking for videos of how good he was in his prime. And I instantly thought to look you up first but you hadnt had a video of him yet.
@@AK-74K Ewing was my favorite center growing up but Sabonis in his prime was better than Ewing, than Robinson and than Olajuwon. The only center that was better than Sabonis was Chamberlain.
I was a huge Blazers fan in the 90's and he was special. I can't imagine what he would have been in his prime with some occasional rest and American medical care. People think Jokic is great and he is. But honestly Sabas was on a whole other level, and his passing was amazing with next level vision. No-look, behind the back, between the legs, it didn't matter. Just youtube Sabonis passing and witness greatness from a 7'3" guy!
@@kingdinodragonite3470 Sabonis was a great defender, no way he toasts him. Sabonis was one of the few who could actually defend prime Shaq and Sabonis was basically playing in a wheelchair at that point.
Andy love your videos man, i think you cover the right subjects and ask the right questions, its not a generic hoops doc. Thanks for doing now if we had him in Portland with that 90s team things may have been different.
@ke an not talking about stats. I asked, did you watch him play in his prime? He was good and couldve been great, but no one matches with Shaq. Maybe the only possible person is Wilt.
@ke an yep, close enough. ruclips.net/video/7yffDCHu4X0/видео.html But the difference is, there is no coulda woulda shoulda about Wilt. He didnt have a more injury until he was older and then still came back strong. He didnt break down at 28 like Sabonis.
I grew up watching him play in portland back 20 yrs ago..he and rasheed wallace formed a championship calibre team..Almost got it..sadly lost to the lakers in the last quarter in game 7 conference final.unforgettable moments.. GO BLAZERS!
I wasnt fortunate to watch him on his prime, I Saw him on Madrid, a 7 foot 3 slow Monster playing point guard and raining 3s. He was so dominate on Spain It was ridiculuous. He and Drazen Petrovic are the greatest European players ever, unfortunately the world (NBA) didnt see them. Respect to Dirk and Pau, but jeez, Sabonis was crazy good
Thank you Sabonis for make me discover basketball. My first image of basketball is 1983 or 84 watching you on TV playing with Zalgiris against Real Madrid or Barcelona. Wow, who is that guy???? Incredible to watch.
@@Jkev24 How can you compare a center with a shooter blows my mind..each was the best in their role..having said that regarding overall efficiency and dominance the best in the 80s basketball was Nick Galis who dominated offensively everyone in every international tournament time after time..he still holds all all time scoring records exept volume scoring due to Oscar longlivety with an astonishing career 60% fg witch he elevated to near 70 percent in some of those finals games..he is the only player in BB history that led a below 8th seat team to defeat both USSR best ever trio(Sabonis,Martsullionis,Volkov) and United Yugoslavia Best ever 4(Drajen,Divac,Paspalj,Vrankovic) twice each averageing 40 ppg..He fell short to Yugoslavia best ever team in their home, when mature Kukoc, Raja and Danilovic were added to the Yugoslavian team but again leading the scoring title with 31 and stagering fg while his National team didnt produce any real offensive support and after the best ever international performance of all times when he anihilated solo the Soviet Team with 45 pnts in the semifinals scoring more than 50 percent of his team offensive production...
@@Jkev24 they do but its nonsense! comparing MJ to Kareem is ridiculous or Shaq to Iverson..one can compare legacies or overall sucess but saying this guy is a better player than this guy when they crearly have develloped totally different skillsets and both became top masters of their craft..
Andy Very good video, i'm a Brazilian fan and I think you could made a "what if" of Oscar"Mao Santa"Schmidt, he was an amazing scorer and lead the Brazilian team in Indianapolis 1987 against the USA, he also is HoF and the points leader of Olympic Games ( Kobe was a Fan)
I’ll answer the last one The 90s Knicks were an excellent defensive team. Very intimidating, very in your face and very physical. Certainly the most physical defense not named the Bad Boy Pistons. Offensively was a different story. They were generally average at best for their era. They were basically the Bad Boy Pistons with a worser offense. They also had some very bad luck in key moments like Charles Smith blowing 4 layups in 1993, John Starks Game 7 choke job, Ewing’s blown layup in 1995 and the suspensions in 1997. Also it doesn’t help that Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller had their number.
Waited for this vid, woulda been top 5 center all time imo he woulda had the chips and accomplishments but on top of that greatest skillset for big man ever- Biggest what if nba history
I mean the dude on knees that could get social security was putting up 23 ppg in the playoffs. Shaq even said he was one of the toughest centers to play against. The USSR robbed the world from seeing what Arvydas could have done on the top stage in the world.
Jkev24 facts Kenny and Charles said he was top 5 player in the world in 1986, which means hw was 22 years old imagine him in his prime with those early 90s stacked Portland teams woulda had a great individual and team career
The Blazers are notorious with "what if scenarios", we could've had multiple rings with Walton if he was healthy, many rings with MJ and Drexler, at least one ring with Sabonis and an aging MJ and Drexler, and then the Roy, LA, Oden trio... So many lol.
As a lithuanian i must say there is some conspiracy theories and lies in this video. It wasnt just sabonis who had insane schedules and hardcore training, whole european basketball was like that back in 70s 80s, countless injuries happened cause of that to many stars back then, yugoslavians included. No one threatened sabonis or his family cause of blazzers, it was cold war and both sides had insane propaganda about other side and that mixed over decades and now we have idiotic conspiracy theories about it. Gomelsky was greatest coach in history in europe, and sabonis was stubborn himself to play, yes after his achiles injury they should have healed him more, but 88 olympics were very important and no one wanted to miss it for anything. For his size its a miracle that his legs held for that long even after both legs acl injuries. Look at today big players in nba, countless injuries even with modern training and modern medicine... while back in 80s there was barely any of that. Also i dont recall him saying all those bad things about ussr and moscow team, he was respected and well known all around ussr, has multiple awards that would not have been given to some western spy or person who dont love his country and tries to run away... We can only dream what he would become in ideal utopic world where 221 cm player has no injury in his career and cold war dont exist. What i agree and most basketball fans should agree, that sabonis is one of best players in history of this sport and biggest " WHAT IF" ever.
This was very interesting. Although, he hasn't the biggest what if in NBA history. I would choose players like Grant Hill, T-Mac, Len Bias and D Rose over him
@@kushberry6679 t mac would been close to kobe, d rose maybe like iverson, len bias would be interesting to see what could have become, grant hill had very decent career imo, even if he was faster not much would have changed, while for sabonis we are talking about kareem/bird/jokic hybrid that we never seen anything close to of uniqueness
@@NostalgicMem0ries You are trippin bro. Even Kobe said thag T-Mac would ve been scary. We are talking about a 6-7 , 6-8 Shooting Guard that had a legendary all around game. T-Mac could have been in the GOAT discussion if he had stayed healthy. Rose has 0 similarities with Iverson. Yes, Iverson had sneaky athletism but he relies on his skills and he was a SG when on the other hand D Rose is a PG, the youngest MVP in NBA history and relied solely on his athletism which was unreal. You can compare Rose to Westbrook if you like, but definitely not Iverson. Also, just imagine how different the league would have been if the Bulls dynasty kept going and going. Don't forget that their core was built around young players like Noah, Gibson, Butler and Rose, and every one of them were under 25. We agree on Len Bias because he didn't even play. Grant Hill played some healthy seasons, like T-Mac but around their primes injuries just kept hitting them. Hill had a long career but after the injuries started to occur in Orlando he was never the same and he didn't reached his peak, or at least he a long peak, same with T-Mac
@@kushberry6679 i might agree on d rose, but on t mac i disagree, just cause someone said he might been goat, i doubt it. He didnt had MJ mentality, even compared to kobe he was amazing scorer, maybe could have outscored and broken some records like harden does now, but now a GOAT ever... we got a glimpse of prime t mac in orlando, he was kobe type of scorer, but not a leader on team like other greats were.
@@NostalgicMem0ries T-Mac was a superstar and a very unique player. His size and athletism helped him be solid defensively and on offense he was unstoppable. He played like Kobe, but he was taller, so more difficult to guard. Okay, GOAT discussion might be a stretch, but he could have easily be like Kobe and maybe even better cause of his physical tools
4:48 that picture is of Sabonis playing against Cibona Zagreb, a team from Croatia (back then Yugoslavia) and the man in the picture is Drazen Petrovic. And watching those two play during Euroleague at the time, was basically the "Bird-Johnson" matches of the era.
you guys should watch FIBA's USSR vs US match. Sabonis goes up against David Robinson, and plays well! his teammates on the other hand... I hadn't even heard of him before, but just from that match I knew he was great
"What if"?? He was one of the best basketball player in the world EVER, he won everything with national team ,euroleague! There's game of basketball outside NBA, you know
Jeez ... havent watched your videos for a while now and you endend up doing one about our fellow countryman legendary Sabonis. I love how you take a deep look into his relationship between soviets and him. Unfortunately ultimate truth is that soviets fucked his career. Look at Ilgauskas career in usa. He was even bigger criple, but he ended up as one of the best Caws centers ever being half as good as Sabas. Anyways... loved your video !
Cold war... This thing just ruined maybe one of the best career for all the time. This is a main reason, why political problems shouldn't take a place in sport. (Sorry for mistakes, I speak russian)
At least his son is doing great. Domantas really doing his dad's name justice. Its sad he couldnt play in the nba, surely would have been one of the greats.
very well said my man, we were thinking about doing a video on him and his son
I love Sabonis as a Pacers fan
He did play
Domantas is a good player, but Arvydas, before injuries, was something else. A unicorn indeed. The soviets forced him to play injured and he never fully recovered and still managed to play at an awesome level.
Lol, its not like Arvydas is miserable being the president of Kauno "Zalgiris" and also the president of the Lithuanian basketball federation, living in a mansion in his home country with his first miss Lithuania wife and 4 children... Domantas has a long way to go to at least smell his fathers success...
Imagine prime Clyde Drexler and prime Sabonis playing togheter
With petrovich
If they played and got chemistry I think they would win a chip
@@yeraysstigma9552 they would've gotten at least 2 imo with numerous final appearances. drexler got to the finals alone, with sabonis they would've been dominating both 80s along side magic and bird and 90s with jordan.
they wouldve won the 1990 nba finals
such a big "what if" the dude could've changed so much in the history of the NBA Jordan's legacy would be impacted too, we might have to make a video on this
Sabonis: My achilles are torn.
CCCP: OUR achilles
😂 😂 😂 😂
They was Debo before Debo..
Lmaoooooooooooo
soviets were like nazis, only red.
@@modestasgendvilas4779 in sports, they were the typical bad guys. If they accepted to let Sabonis to play in the NBA sooner, he would have been an MVP-calibre player.
In case anyone wonders about the 1992 Lithuanian jerseys: The team had no money and it was unclear if they could even afford traveling to the Olympics In the end they managed to get 'The Grateful Dead' (Yes, the band) to sponsor them and they ended up playing with this super-colorful jersey with a Grateful Dead logo on it. Very cool story.
Nice!
thats mad, wow
Bill Walton have anything to do with that?
My dad has 3 of these and gave me one!
I remember that! 😁 That was so cool. Everyone was rooting for the Dream Team but I was rooting just as hard for the Lithuanian team in the bronze medal game as I was for USA in the gold medal game.
Arvydas today would be a combination of Jokic and Porzingis, and his son Domantas. He was big, strong, athletic, high IQ, good shooter, passer, dominated the boards. A hell of a player
100% agreed
Imagine Jokic playing in the 80s 😯. And now a 7''3 jokic. This player was insane, nothing could have stopped him in the 80s. He might have been able to change history and the showtime lakers dinasty. Old Kareem was definetly a shell of his former self on the defensive side, sabonis could have torched the lakers.
Drexler sabonis, what a duo
That would've been sick..
i guess you would agree then that that makes HOF european all time scorer leader(32 ppg 60% fg) Nick Galis a real semigod cause he took down offensively by himself the United Sovirt Union Team twice( euro cup finals 87,semifinals 89) against Sabonic,Martsullionis,Volkov,Tihonenko and a plethora of others scoring 45 and 40 points on them non stop with the hole soviet defense trying to stop him in vain???!!!!!!!
Arvydas was a unique and special talent for sure.
one of a kind
Pro i dont know whats wrong with americans but the always think europe players are the wrong choice but they are the top 3 best in the draft
Jokic babyyyyyy
@@mildamalinauskaite4722 lm
@@mildamalinauskaite4722 lebron,jordan,magic,bird,kareem. ok buddy
One of the most underrated players to ever play the game it was a shame we never got to see his whole prime in the NBA
yeah the dude could've been one of the greatest
An hall of famer underrated by you but not by Bill Walton, for example
And he won Euroleague MVP at 40 years old, playing last season of his career. Really impressive.
And... great video ;]
Probably the most controversial Euroleague mvp of all time,but he was really good just not worth the mvp this year
@@oror1260 lmao facts they just gave to him cause he was on his way out kind of, not saying he didn't deserve it but that def helped
He won 2 mvps that year, regular season and top16. And deserved both of them.
Not to mention he played for free. He loved Zalgiris very very much and wanted to help his beloved team
@@inthepaint2907 he wasn't on his way out, he planned to play another season for Zalgiris, he was preparing with a team for 2004-05, played friendlies, but some health problems started to bother him, he took some time off right before the start of the season, but never fully recovered, so decided do not to take risks
God this is painful. The part you left out is that if Sabonis came to the NBA when he was supposed to HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON CLYDE DREXLER'S BLAZERS. Think about that. Clyde's Blazers were one piece away from a dynasty, a big hole at center. If sabonis came to the NBA when he should have, 90's would have been blazers era. It's interesting to think mj's legacy might be totally different based off this one what if alone.
Jarek dont know if you remember but there was also a player from seton hall named Ramón Ramos, he was a PF, really good, he suffered a car crash and lost his carrer, and he was drafted by the blazers around that time line...
And Terry Porter a very good point who would have fed him the ball
Blazers woulda beaten pistons and Jordan bulls. None of those teams had a dude who can guard Sabonis in the post, let alone the high post and perimeter where he can throw dimes and shoot jumpers. His defense woulda shut down laimbeer and isiah on his drives
@@michaelsantiago8161 Ramos was an undrafted free agent.
Plus, what if Drazen Petrovic did not die early? Petrovic was able to beat or equal MJ, based on MJ declaration
When Sabonis finished playing in Nba he still played one more season in Kauno Zalgiris, his first team. He was voted the MVP of Euroleague that year at the age of 40!
Just to put some context: His first torn achilles injury, a career-ending one, happened in 1986, at age 21. And when he was in rehab, he fell downstairs at home, in a quite dubious incident.
Then he stopped playing for 18 months, coming back in time to win the Olympics! He was 23, and already severely injured.
So most "prime Sabas footage" is actually that of a seriously diminished player. There never was a prime, healthy, 25/28 years old Sabonis. Had Sabas and his body been treated fairly in his URSS years, he would have been a top 10 player ever. That I don´t have a doubt in my mind, nor anyone who watched him playing in the mid 80´s.
Great comment, some people miss the context! I think he would be guaranteed top 10, with a possibility to contend to GOAT.
In today's NBA, he would be lining up MVP Trophies.
He is taller Jokic before Jokic, or should I say, Jokic is shorter Sabonis 2.0
ruclips.net/video/LVyvUpJp1Ps/видео.html
.
He’s the offense of jokic with the defense and athleticism of a porzingis, in terms of a modern day comp
@@ashwincheekala1566 100% we might make a video on both of them soon
Definitely the predecessor of the Unicorn and Jokic
Banjo Kobuto youre 100% spot on
The political interests are the problem in sports for a long time, Sabonis was in the 80s in the terrible position
Reason why I agree with Bill Walton’s opinion on kidnapping him, and I was a Portland fan too. Well, a Rasheed Wallace fan. Dude was a beast and it’s a shame we couldn’t see him in his prime, Drazen Petrovic too.
@@biglordebunnyrabbit627 Bill Walton is such cool guy, kidnapping Sabonis lol
jbg
Djesi brate
@@biglordebunnyrabbit627 I agree with you my man, great point!
Omg i can't believe you made about Arvydas Sabonis, any lithuanians?🇱🇹
obviously lithuanians are everywhere!
Let's go
Sveiki sveiki
Sveiki pacukai
My girlfriend is Lithuanian and says they love basketball over there. She said the soviet union had 4 out 5 starters from Lithuania some years. Tiny country with 4 starters for soviet union, crazy. BTW his wife is tiny so his kids are much shorter than him.
Andy ur literally only one of the basketball youtubers that pronounce players and clubs names correctly you either do a good research which is extremely easy to do or just are good at it lol either way I like that you take your channel videos professionally I always disliked how other ball youtubers doing videos about Doncic or other European player starts by saying "I will be pronouncing it really wrong but whatever bro here it goes" damn if u do videos like this take the time to google the pronouncation of players...
his pronunciation of CSKA was incorrect.
I LIKE CORRECT NAMES, CLUBS I DONT CARE.
HIS NAME PRONAUNCE ARE THE BEST IN RUclips
Been listening to Andy for years and I still cant believe he only has 300k subs. This guy deserves millions of subscribers for giving us quality contents
the dude def deserves more, we trying to grow and be like he def helped inspire our channel
When you hear those trumpets...
Andy has produced another masterpiece and will be one step closer to 500k.
Thanks Andy
Yee buddy, thx for all the support!
frrrr, we just trying to get to 1k lmao while Andy on his way up, he deserves it tho
#facts
Its a saxophone though, but yeah he does produce quality contents
judex my sister plays a saxophone, and that doesn’t like a saxophone at all. Unless you can specify which type it is
I saw him playing in Europe during the 80s' and he was unbelievable, he practically could do everything on the court
He was a very good center. So sad that the injuries destroyed his career.
yeah he just came over at older age and not being able to fully use his prime years
The Russians ran his knees to the ground. What a shame.
Overworking and politics spoiled his career
Shahik Mohammed 100%
He's not MYvydis, he's not YOURvydis...he's Arvydis! - old Sportscenter anchor Craig Kilborn*
Craig Kilborn
lmaooo yesss, love listening to Dan Patrick to this day
@@ericveneto1593 thank you!! I couldn't remember if it was him or Dan. DP didn't feel right in the original post, but when I saw your reply with Kilborn - bingo! Thanks, mate.
Hes Arvydas [R Wee Das] pronunciation
You can’t teach size and the guy was a legit 7’3 and not lanky. Imagine if he came into the NBA today as a 19 year old with world class training, medical staff, and equipment.
Well at least his son looks promising.
*pause*
Brady Delibac 😐
BIG PAUSE.
@@VincentVincent_89 Y'all knew exactly what he meant. Get your minds out the gutter
Brady Delibac Y’all immature asf bro grow up you know what he meant
He would have been an All Star in the NBA had he started his career in the league in 86. I think anybody who knows basketball and saw him play back then wouldn’t deny that.
100% him and Drexler playing together would have done big things in the late 80's and early 90's
InThePaint Definitely no doubt
You don't even have to imagine. He still balled out at 31 with basically no knees. If he could do that at that point in his life, he would've changed history if he came sooner.
@bojo perez so much potential if things happened a better way
His greatness is slept on. I will never forget his playoff series battle against the Lakers in the year 2000. He played for Portland TrailBlazers and lost that series but it was practically the NBA championship because the Eastern Conference was not going to win the finals against either team in my opinion. Kobe and Shaq made one of the greatest comebacks ever in game 7. His game was the truth.
If he didn't foul out, Lakers probably would have lost that game 7
Piss poor coaching by the Trailblazers. They had that Championship all wrapped up.
Sabonis was Magic + Wilt + Bird. Passing, athletic dominance, and shooting. He was a better Jokic + Luka + Porzingis in one package.
Amazing video! Sabonis is one of my all-time favourite players. I still think he is massively under appreciated and I try to put so many people on to him! Jokic before Jokic but 7'3 and way more athletic in his prime! Watched an NBA TV special where Brian Shaw (who played against him in 1986 on the US Team) said that he was just as athletic as David Robinson and that's who Sabonis was facing! Truly fascinated with Sabonis' game, he really was the orignial unicorn! Insane how far ahead of its time his game was! He would fit perfectly into any NBA roster! AMAZING video once again!
I remember watching this guy in the 1986 World Championships. Dude was 7'3" and could do it all. He could bang down low, post up, take it to the hole, and could even knock it down from anywhere on the court, even beyond the arc. To say nothing of the fact he could pass like a point guard. If he had been allowed to play in the NBA in his prime, he could have arguably been one of the greatest, if not the greatest, center ever. Oh, and one of the few players in the NBA who never backed down from Shaq, ever.
That's why Sabonis is Yao Ming's favorite idol.
Blazers could have had Jordan and sabonis alongside drexler. Oh my god.
That’s why I say they the Kings of “what if’s” this guy, bias,Oden, Roy, Walton an few others
@@sosarodriguez909 we gonna have to make a new what ifs on all these guys, great ideas my man
would've been crazyyy
Portland has so much bad luck.. If they do get potential great players something happens to them like injuries.. Of they skipping on a potential great player in the draft they had right in their hands.. Portland Trailblazers..
@@sosarodriguez909 Larry Johnson.
I appreciate you doing a video on Sabonis. IMO, Sabonis had, and still has, the most underrated and unappreciated career in NBA history and overseas. Growing up in this era, i witnessed Sabonis put in work night after night. He had mind-boggling talent that you didn’t see from bigs back then. Nowadays, bigs with a similar skillset as Sabonis are a dime a dozen. Sabonis was ahead of his time. The numbers and his overall game just didn't make sense for a big in that era. He was an anomaly. He's Jokic before Jokic. He was, and still is, one of my favorite players. Off topic, @5:35, does anyone else think him and Steven Adams looked alike? 🤔
Thanks Andy for the video, Im Lithuanian and I love your videos, Sabonis is a legend
I love those scenes of him passing in the post. Great ability. Thanks for this video.
He was always our hero!! We were as glued to our TV screens when Sabuonis was playing for USSR team or Lithuania (before he went to paly for NBA). We knew in our hearts he was always playing for Lithuania - yes it was before Lituania gaining independence and it was an important issue for all of us. I was witching and fallowing Zalgiris since I was a little girl (now 43) I’m from Latvia with Lithuanian roots. Sabuonis is part of my and my brother’s childhood and he will always remain our hero, we were so proud of him!! And are for all the hard work he has put in to his game! He didn’t have it easy for sure, knowing the USSR style of treating people, sportsman and politics behind the scenes... Tebegyvuoja Žalgiris! Tebegyvuoja Sabuonis! ( Long live Žalgiris, Long live Sabuonis in Lithuanian) :) A fan from Riga, Latvia.
Aciu
I remember him in Portland. Great passer at the Center position. Could've been the first Jokic
At his prime he was better that jokic,bigger and way more athletic..
@@enjoylife1239 for sure, dude was on a whole different level
@@enjoylife1239 agreed
Brilliant video, thank you so much. I was blessed to have watched him in the early 1990s, he was a beast at both ends of the court, but a calming figure too. Lee 🇬🇧
Aww hell yea dude. Soon as I clicked I seen its one of my fav Euro players ever and I been wishing someone would do a vid on sabonis. Big propps!!
What a great video! As a Lithuanian, i can say that you got all the facts right.
Sabonis is very underrated player, not many people know how good he was before all the injuries
agreed, we might make a video for him too, would love to know what you think my man
Got goosebumps when I saw all his accomplishments. It's so sad to hear the things that happened to him. I still can't believe he's destroying his competition despite suffering from his previous injuries. Truly a legend.
Sheesh he would’ve been crazy if he came over at 21 😭
@thanasis antetokounmpo He didn't wait. He wasn't allowed to leave.
Those trumpets , u know it’s gonna be an amazing video when Andy does those
Yep
facts we gotta add an intro like that
politics ruined his nba career , sad to see
fr
Communism to be exact..
Thank you Andy for covering dudes like this, I been waiting for a arvydas sabonis video
any videos you'd wanna see from us my man?
InThePaint ya how about a video on Dana Barros? I’ve seen almost none on him, and he was an OG Lilard Curry type player
Always wondered this. Dude was remarkable. Had it all. Ran like a deer. Skills. Smarts. Great passer. Even when he was physically done and came to the NBA he was great. Wish we could have seen him at his prime. So fun to watch.
I gotta acknowledge that you know your stuff man. Good to see a video about arvydas. Most nba youtubers are not so deep with their knowledge or have the interest to know.He was one of the first Europeans who opened the way for others to come in the league.
Could you make a video about Nick Gallis at some point? He was and still is the greatest Greek bball player and was set to play for Celtics but he was injured and let go.
Auerbach has said that letting him go was his only big mistake ever.
we're pretty confident and what we know my man, would love to know what you think of us
If he made it to the league earlier when he was younger. This guy would of been a top 5 big ever for sure. A 7”3 300 pound athletic monster. He Could pass shoot,jump,run,block, dribble and a amazing defender. How do I know this? My great grandfather played basketball in Europe and played against the man once. He said he was the greatest player he had ever seen.
Sabonis is my hero !!! great video, very interesting to watch, thanks. Best wishes from Lithuania.
Love from Lithuania
appreciate that, would some love from you on our channel too!
Best wishes from LIthuania.
I was really surprised when my friend from Philippines, who is a bit older generation, knows Arvydas Sabonis as a player. This just goes on to show that Arvydas was a phenom and the whole world knew him.
He was one of the few guys in the NBA who could legitimately match up with Shaq.
He could of easily dissected Shaq on the court if he was healthy!
No one matched up with Shaq
Sabonis was not just a tall skinny center. He couldn't stop Shaq, but the fight was more fair because Sabonis had both height and bulk so he didn't get bullied as badly in the post.
@@ZachAttackIsBack I watcjed Sabonis play in the NBA and saw him in his prime.
He was good. But match up with Shaq? Nobody matched up with Shaq.
Yes, he wouldve made his mark in the NBA if he made it there in his prime before injuries. But saying he wouldve been a top 10 player of all time. Thats just hype.
@@ddavis8988 he got his physique ruined so yeah it's hard to match Shaq but if it wasn't the case he could have done it for sure
Thanks for the video. I am from Lithuania and this video means a lot for me and my whole country. It's just really sad, because he got boo'ed off just because he was considered to be from SSRS and not Lithuania!
When I first heard about this guy, I was wishing he came over sooner cause he would of been a beast in the NBA.
Great commentary and not many people are going to appreciate this " What if " along with Len Bias, he could do everything for a big man. Skills wise he was the truth but many injuries to his legs stopped him from being able to show NBA fans what he represented in his early career.
Domantas sabonis is now an all star and I personally think he is going to be a perennial all star.
It’s a real shame we couldn’t see prime Sabonis in the nba, at least we have domontas
The way he got described by coaches and analysts, It sounds like he was more athletic version of Jokic before Jokic came around
When Jokic had his breakthrough most considered him to be sabonis 2.0.
yuppp
@@Kris-ut8bi facts Jokic is such a beast if he had just a little bit more help, the Nuggets would be a huge problem
Much more athletic. This man was a legit great athlete
@@kalohr More like a blend of a stronger version of Porzingis and Jokic.
Its so funny because last month I thought about him a bit and was looking for videos of how good he was in his prime. And I instantly thought to look you up first but you hadnt had a video of him yet.
we might make a video on him soon too my man!
@@inthepaint2907 ill check it out and give a like and sub
I saw him dominate the best NBA big men before his injuries. What a shame he didn’t get to NBA while he was young and healthy. Best ever
Wow. What a quality video. Thank you so much Andy hoops!
Whenever I think of Arvydas I always remember the time when Rasheed threw a towel in his face during a timeout lol
Yeah that towel was the end of Blazers at the time. You could say they still havent completely recovered from it.
Absolutely one of biggest what if’s in NBA history. Could have had a huge legacy and really shaken up the late 80’s/ early 90’s.
Blazers are the Kings of “what ifs” arvydas, bias, Roy, oden, bill walton(injuries)
such crazy potential
Lets not forget Sam Bowie for Michael Jordan on Draft Day 1984, a day that will live infamy.
Blazers are unlucky bro. Hope they'll get a chip and also my twolves.
how was bias part of the blazers what ifs?
Yung Amadeus I gottem mixed up w Sam Bowie my mistake
Great video. Thanks, and best wishes from Lithuania
Sobonis
Could have been a the best center in history of nba
for a fact, we may have to do a video on him soon
Don't know about the best, but could have been a top 5-top 10 all time centre. In line with guys like Patrick Ewing or David Robinson
Yup
@@AK-74K He was the most skilled center I've ever seen. He could shoot the 3, post, pass, rebound, he had strength.... He was amazing.
@@AK-74K Ewing was my favorite center growing up but Sabonis in his prime was better than Ewing, than Robinson and than Olajuwon. The only center that was better than Sabonis was Chamberlain.
I saw him in the olympics 88. I still remember his skills. Amazing. Great video, thanks
We were robbed of a generational talent but he still did great and his son is a beast.
I remember the announcers would talk about him as a what if when he was playing! He was still good.
I think he came over at age 33. Kind of like some of the baseball players from Japan that come over to the US later in their career.
sounds about right
One of my favorite centers and what if nba stories. Good work man
fr we gonna have to make a video like this soon
Put it like this, Sabonis is one of the reasons there was a Dream Team in 1992.
Remember getting a chance to watch him play the Hornets at the Rose Garden once and was amazed by his shooting and deft passing.
Might have been the most talented player ever.
this is why andy is my favorite basketball youtuber
Sabonis was one of the best basketball players ever. He would dominate NBA at his prime if..
I was a huge Blazers fan in the 90's and he was special. I can't imagine what he would have been in his prime with some occasional rest and American medical care.
People think Jokic is great and he is. But honestly Sabas was on a whole other level, and his passing was amazing with next level vision. No-look, behind the back, between the legs, it didn't matter. Just youtube Sabonis passing and witness greatness from a 7'3" guy!
Hall of Famer
ruclips.net/video/LVyvUpJp1Ps/видео.html
.
probably
@@inthepaint2907 No, Arvydas is in the HoF. It's mentioned in the vid.
I never get tired of Sabonis "what if" videos great video as always.
we might have to make one then............
Could you imagine watching a prime Olajuwon vs Sabonis
god that would've been amazing
Olajuwon would destroy that white boy chill
Dre Bands6 HAHAHAHA
I think Sabonis is similar to David Robinson with better passing and perimeter game in his prime. Hakeem would still toast him though.
@@kingdinodragonite3470 Sabonis was a great defender, no way he toasts him. Sabonis was one of the few who could actually defend prime Shaq and Sabonis was basically playing in a wheelchair at that point.
Andy love your videos man, i think you cover the right subjects and ask the right questions, its not a generic hoops doc. Thanks for doing now if we had him in Portland with that 90s team things may have been different.
He legit could’ve been top 10 all time if he started in the NBA
Um no.
He wouldve been good and an all star. But top 10, no.
@ke an have you watched a game of him in his prime?
@ke an not talking about stats. I asked, did you watch him play in his prime?
He was good and couldve been great, but no one matches with Shaq. Maybe the only possible person is Wilt.
@ke an yep, close enough.
ruclips.net/video/7yffDCHu4X0/видео.html
But the difference is, there is no coulda woulda shoulda about Wilt. He didnt have a more injury until he was older and then still came back strong. He didnt break down at 28 like Sabonis.
@@ddavis8988 hakeem had shaq for breakfast...
I grew up watching him play in portland back 20 yrs ago..he and rasheed wallace formed a championship calibre team..Almost got it..sadly lost to the lakers in the last quarter in game 7 conference final.unforgettable moments.. GO BLAZERS!
I wasnt fortunate to watch him on his prime, I Saw him on Madrid, a 7 foot 3 slow Monster playing point guard and raining 3s. He was so dominate on Spain It was ridiculuous. He and Drazen Petrovic are the greatest European players ever, unfortunately the world (NBA) didnt see them. Respect to Dirk and Pau, but jeez, Sabonis was crazy good
"7'3 slow monster playing pg raining 3s" that made me lol so loud because he is just that
Thank you Sabonis for make me discover basketball.
My first image of basketball is 1983 or 84 watching you on TV playing with Zalgiris against Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Wow, who is that guy???? Incredible to watch.
The biggest "What if?" in NBA is if Oscar Schmit had come to play in the NBA
Nah, Sabonis was a better player than Oscar.
yesssssss, we might make a video on Schmit soon
@@Jkev24 How can you compare a center with a shooter blows my mind..each was the best in their role..having said that regarding overall efficiency and dominance the best in the 80s basketball was Nick Galis who dominated offensively everyone in every international tournament time after time..he still holds all all time scoring records exept volume scoring due to Oscar longlivety with an astonishing career 60% fg witch he elevated to near 70 percent in some of those finals games..he is the only player in BB history that led a below 8th seat team to defeat both USSR best ever trio(Sabonis,Martsullionis,Volkov) and United Yugoslavia Best ever 4(Drajen,Divac,Paspalj,Vrankovic) twice each averageing 40 ppg..He fell short to Yugoslavia best ever team in their home, when mature Kukoc, Raja and Danilovic were added to the Yugoslavian team but again leading the scoring title with 31 and stagering fg while his National team didnt produce any real offensive support and after the best ever international performance of all times when he anihilated solo the Soviet Team with 45 pnts in the semifinals scoring more than 50 percent of his team offensive production...
@@andreaspapadakis2602 people compare players of different positions all the time. That really shouldn't blow your mind.
@@Jkev24 they do but its nonsense! comparing MJ to Kareem is ridiculous or Shaq to Iverson..one can compare legacies or overall sucess but saying this guy is a better player than this guy when they crearly have develloped totally different skillsets and both became top masters of their craft..
Andy Very good video, i'm a Brazilian fan and I think you could made a "what if" of Oscar"Mao Santa"Schmidt, he was an amazing scorer and lead the Brazilian team in Indianapolis 1987 against the USA, he also is HoF and the points leader of Olympic Games ( Kobe was a Fan)
Can you do how good was Ron Artest? Or Jermaine O’Neal
Jason Kidd?
90s Knicks?
I’ll answer the last one
The 90s Knicks were an excellent defensive team. Very intimidating, very in your face and very physical. Certainly the most physical defense not named the Bad Boy Pistons.
Offensively was a different story. They were generally average at best for their era. They were basically the Bad Boy Pistons with a worser offense.
They also had some very bad luck in key moments like Charles Smith blowing 4 layups in 1993, John Starks Game 7 choke job, Ewing’s blown layup in 1995 and the suspensions in 1997.
Also it doesn’t help that Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller had their number.
Jonny Arnet made a vid about artest and others like mike Bibby and white chocolate
egizzle 4000 I would prefer Andy’s take since he talks about points, post-season and stuff
@@Terror832 great insight my man, I can tell you know your NBA stuff, would to see more of your feedback in the comments of our videos
@@robertolebron2296 what about our take, we were thinking about doing Jason Kidd soon
Great video! I’m a newer fan of basketball (obsessed for four or so years now) and your videos are a great history lesson!
I think you would enjoy and learn a lot from our channel too my man
Waited for this vid, woulda been top 5 center all time imo he woulda had the chips and accomplishments but on top of that greatest skillset for big man ever- Biggest what if nba history
I mean the dude on knees that could get social security was putting up 23 ppg in the playoffs.
Shaq even said he was one of the toughest centers to play against. The USSR robbed the world from seeing what Arvydas could have done on the top stage in the world.
Jkev24 facts Kenny and Charles said he was top 5 player in the world in 1986, which means hw was 22 years old imagine him in his prime with those early 90s stacked Portland teams woulda had a great individual and team career
@@ashwincheekala1566 I know man. I'm half Lithuanian. I'm bummed we didn't get to see him in his prime in the NBA.
the dude was on a whole different level from anyone else, he deserves a lot more recognition, we may make a video on him too
The Blazers are notorious with "what if scenarios", we could've had multiple rings with Walton if he was healthy, many rings with MJ and Drexler, at least one ring with Sabonis and an aging MJ and Drexler, and then the Roy, LA, Oden trio... So many lol.
KD? Xd
agreed, we should make a video on just them and their "what if" potential
Sabonis is in top 10 centers of all time
😂😂😂😂👎
Montrel not just nba all time for all leagues
Bill Simmons has him top 30 all time because of what could of been
for me one.of the top 5 centers i saw in my life and i watch basketball since 1983
uh not in the NBA
Being both Puerto Rican and Lithuanian this makes me proud!! This man is a living legend right here! Man's passes were best in the game hands down.
As a lithuanian i must say there is some conspiracy theories and lies in this video. It wasnt just sabonis who had insane schedules and hardcore training, whole european basketball was like that back in 70s 80s, countless injuries happened cause of that to many stars back then, yugoslavians included. No one threatened sabonis or his family cause of blazzers, it was cold war and both sides had insane propaganda about other side and that mixed over decades and now we have idiotic conspiracy theories about it. Gomelsky was greatest coach in history in europe, and sabonis was stubborn himself to play, yes after his achiles injury they should have healed him more, but 88 olympics were very important and no one wanted to miss it for anything. For his size its a miracle that his legs held for that long even after both legs acl injuries. Look at today big players in nba, countless injuries even with modern training and modern medicine... while back in 80s there was barely any of that. Also i dont recall him saying all those bad things about ussr and moscow team, he was respected and well known all around ussr, has multiple awards that would not have been given to some western spy or person who dont love his country and tries to run away...
We can only dream what he would become in ideal utopic world where 221 cm player has no injury in his career and cold war dont exist. What i agree and most basketball fans should agree, that sabonis is one of best players in history of this sport and biggest " WHAT IF" ever.
This was very interesting. Although, he hasn't the biggest what if in NBA history. I would choose players like Grant Hill, T-Mac, Len Bias and D Rose over him
@@kushberry6679 t mac would been close to kobe, d rose maybe like iverson, len bias would be interesting to see what could have become, grant hill had very decent career imo, even if he was faster not much would have changed, while for sabonis we are talking about kareem/bird/jokic hybrid that we never seen anything close to of uniqueness
@@NostalgicMem0ries You are trippin bro. Even Kobe said thag T-Mac would ve been scary. We are talking about a 6-7 , 6-8 Shooting Guard that had a legendary all around game. T-Mac could have been in the GOAT discussion if he had stayed healthy. Rose has 0 similarities with Iverson. Yes, Iverson had sneaky athletism but he relies on his skills and he was a SG when on the other hand D Rose is a PG, the youngest MVP in NBA history and relied solely on his athletism which was unreal. You can compare Rose to Westbrook if you like, but definitely not Iverson. Also, just imagine how different the league would have been if the Bulls dynasty kept going and going. Don't forget that their core was built around young players like Noah, Gibson, Butler and Rose, and every one of them were under 25. We agree on Len Bias because he didn't even play. Grant Hill played some healthy seasons, like T-Mac but around their primes injuries just kept hitting them. Hill had a long career but after the injuries started to occur in Orlando he was never the same and he didn't reached his peak, or at least he a long peak, same with T-Mac
@@kushberry6679 i might agree on d rose, but on t mac i disagree, just cause someone said he might been goat, i doubt it. He didnt had MJ mentality, even compared to kobe he was amazing scorer, maybe could have outscored and broken some records like harden does now, but now a GOAT ever... we got a glimpse of prime t mac in orlando, he was kobe type of scorer, but not a leader on team like other greats were.
@@NostalgicMem0ries T-Mac was a superstar and a very unique player. His size and athletism helped him be solid defensively and on offense he was unstoppable. He played like Kobe, but he was taller, so more difficult to guard. Okay, GOAT discussion might be a stretch, but he could have easily be like Kobe and maybe even better cause of his physical tools
4:48 that picture is of Sabonis playing against Cibona Zagreb, a team from Croatia (back then Yugoslavia) and the man in the picture is Drazen Petrovic. And watching those two play during Euroleague at the time, was basically the "Bird-Johnson" matches of the era.
you're spot on for sure, we might make a video on that rivalry
"...lived in obscurity until he was fifteen years-old."
What a loser. I was making power moves by the time I was a pre-teen.
Lol
hahah
making power moves on your mom? - That's cool.
People are comparing him to Jokic, Shaq, Magic, Porzingis. But people who saw him in his prime, know that prime Sabonis was on whole another level.
PLEASE IVE BEEN ASKING FOR YEARS PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT RON ARTEST AKA METTA WORLD PEACE
maybe we'll do it for you
you guys should watch FIBA's USSR vs US match. Sabonis goes up against David Robinson, and plays well! his teammates on the other hand... I hadn't even heard of him before, but just from that match I knew he was great
that was a great matchup two different styles of play loved watching the two against each other, we might have to make a video on that matchup
@@inthepaint2907 haha like the subtle plug... you have a cool channel
J P lmao i like that you picked up on it, appreciate your feedback my man!
"What if"??
He was one of the best basketball player in the world EVER, he won everything with national team ,euroleague!
There's game of basketball outside NBA, you know
Jeez ... havent watched your videos for a while now and you endend up doing one about our fellow countryman legendary Sabonis. I love how you take a deep look into his relationship between soviets and him. Unfortunately ultimate truth is that soviets fucked his career. Look at Ilgauskas career in usa. He was even bigger criple, but he ended up as one of the best Caws centers ever being half as good as Sabas. Anyways... loved your video !
Cold war... This thing just ruined maybe one of the best career for all the time. This is a main reason, why political problems shouldn't take a place in sport. (Sorry for mistakes, I speak russian)
He was nice. Remember watching old Sabonis do work. Haven’t forgotten this big man.