Sabonis - 1986 World Championship

[Kazlekas1]

Quality: Stone

[mindeika]

wow



[cpelta]

Sabonis is the most talented center ever. Chamberlain was a pioneer, Kareem was great, Hakeem was wonderful, Shaq was a natural force, etc., but nobody so clever and with the same gifts for playing basket.

[TheCoconut78]

si no hubiera sido por el vodka que se ha metío, estaríamos ante el mejor pivot de la historia del baloncesto, sin duda.

[mikeatwebcuro]

which pixel is he?

[factoriusLT]

Nobody argue about which legue is strongest,but there is big diference between euro basket and usa basket.usa basket based on superstars individual work,euro is teamplay and if team can close the individuals for some time usa losses.But still dont get me wrong usa 5 players on the feald ussualy is killing mashines

[joevald32]

Remember people this was an era that american players payed real fundamentak basketball, todays thats not hapens anymore and euro players has develope there game to another level. Thats why Pao Gasol and Dirk are so important to there NBA teams. Toronto have 7 euro players including Calderon from Spain and Bergnagni from Italy and they adapted very well to the NBA.

[Gyro911]

ha the USSR lost this game to a bunch of under age physically underdevolped college kids

[Paragon231]

Had Sabonis played in the NBA during his prime, he surely would have finished as a top 10 center

[xaqtak]

In 1986, young Sabonis was considered by many people in Europe as the best player in the world.

2m 24cm, shoots like a forward, his coordination and movements were something never seen before in a 7'3'' person.

Unlucky injuries

[Gyro911]

@xaqtak Best player in the world? are you on crack? Bird, Magic Johnson, Ewing, Hakeem, and Domonique, Jordan, Isiah, forget it I can go through 50 other players in the mid 80's. This big jerkoff never played against great competition aside from Robinson who was a kid back then and his team got beat in this game by a bunch of 19-21 year olds.

[Apokorwnioths1984]

@Gyro911 Sabonis was only one year older than Robisnon. Most of the USSR's players were young as well. The fact they weren't in college doesn't mean they were older in average neither that basketball ment everything for them(unlike USA's players, who despite they were in college they aimed for a professional career since basketball there was a big business). Some of the USSR's players even became taxi drivers later (e.g Chachengo)

In 1988 for the record USSR took the revanse and destroyed USA.

[homeboiUH]

@Apokorwnioths1984 It's a joke to claim that they destroyed USA when they actualyl only won by 6 points..

[cstga12]

@homeboiUH Waaaa, waaaaaa!

It's ancient history already.

[xaqtak]

@Gyro911 I guess we can not argue about something that never happened.In any case,Saba played without knees when he went to the NBA back in 1996,he was completely finished..,still managed to average 12 points per game, 8 rebounds. He was 32,injured and no fitness condition,nevertheless he did an impact in the NBA since he became rookie of the year.Some great players never done that.He literally outplayed and smashed a "baby" David Robinson...BTW Sabas was/is only 6 months older than Robin.

[Gyro911]

@xaqtak You do realize that the USSR lost this game right? against college players that only had 3 months of practice with one another rather then the Soviet team who have played together for years

[martyd1036]

@Gyro911 Yeah true, but give credit to US coach Lou Olsen he picked the right players to form a team not the most talented players. He cut Reggie Miller and Pervis Ellison because they didn't fit in with what was needed to win. Olsen very much familiar with international basketball picked the right pieces in that he could build a team in only three months time.

[ermigue]

@Gyro911 "played together for years"????, Gyro, Sabonis played for the first time with this people only A WEEK before this championship. He played before in the under-18 soviet team. The same other players. For this game, the soviet coach didn´t allow older players to play (Thatchenko, for example). So it was a balanced match in every senses. I saw it live, and it was great. By the way, Sabonis was 7 mounths older than Robinson, not 5 like someone said. Anyway, they were 21 in this match.

[ermigue]

@ermigue Ups! Sorry, I mixed two World Championships: 1982 and 1986. Of course, it was in 1982 when Sabonis won with a month of difference under-18 and absolute World Camps. The rest is ok: Thatchenko and other old players didn´t play in the 1986 final, etc...And I remember the Robinson´s and other players face when they see Thatchenko -even bigger than Sabonis- walking among them after taking his medal. They stared at him like thinking: "Oh, Lord, thanks that this walking closet haven´t played"

[1JORDANAS]

Sabonis insane :D

[DeSadeTO]

mogaby13...by the time Sabonis made it to Portland he could hardly walk. His knees were gone. He couldnt jump or run properly. But he still made an impact

[AaronBank]

Arvidas Sabonis and Vlade Divac were most intelegent centers ever played they played defence they were leaders they shoot 3 points the made so intelegent passes No Jabbar or Ewing or Shaq ever made it

[Gyro911]

@AaronBank You forgot one thing, they were mediocre and constantly got outplayed by Ewing Shaq

[ermigue]

@Gyro911 I think you haven´t seen the 1992 Olimpics. Sabas outplayed by Ewing?? How many players do you know that have received two blocks from the same player with two seconds of difference in a Olimpic semi-final? Ewing seemed a toy in Sabonis hands that day.

[mogaby13]

an example of what important is go to gym and keep in shape for the injuries´sorry Sabonis maybe if u went to a gym the blazers would have won 5 or 6 championships in a row, but Sabonis was a Marvelous player

[nevjerovatni]

0:08 goaltending for sure

[FloydElectricOrder]

not in international play.

[thebigshow6ft7]

too bad the nba didnt get him til his knees were gone

[TrenchtownRock2]

ruppstomp you talk nonsense!

Sabas yra geriausias iš geriausių!!!!!!

[deimaozys]

fag what do u say sabonis is best of the best he had talent hes form Lithuania and hes one of the best players in the world

[MATUXX1]

chrisvarick u are totally right

[posteriordepression1]

No Blazers wouldn't due to

Damon Stoudamire: Cocaine/Heroin

Scottie pippen: piece of shit without Jordan

Sabonis: knees shot

Steven A. Smith: future idiotic espn broadcaster

[davidbyrne77]

Steve Smith and Steven a smith are two different people. no big deal though.

[johnnyfarragut]

Had Sabonis stayed healthy throughout his whole career the Blazers would have won 5 or 6 championships in a row.

[durshlekas]

nesuprato robinsonas kas atsitiko

[MindeJu]

An amazing amazing player. I realy enjoy NBA players flying over the basket,but then im watching this guy i cant believe C can do all that stuff.  Even beeing injured he showed real beuty of of this game.

[ivnp71]

U.S.A won that game, i remembered it well i was very excited despite i couldn't watch it on the tv .i was very happy cause u.s team had won the world championship in spain! go, go u.s.a!!

by the way i'm spanish but i'll always support the u.s team!!

[ChrisVarick]

fucking soviet union.he couldve been such a great player had he gone to nba when he was younger...

[dyegosh]

@ChrisVarick he was a great plaeyr!

[frosts147]

@ChrisVarick  Sabonis is great player

[Soptio1988]

jai sabas bent keliais metais anskciau butu patekes i NBA, turbut tubu buves vienas geriausiu centru tuo metu

[dustinbball121]

is tyrone bougues muggsy?

[rikhardhur]

Yes.

[dustinbball121]

oh ok thanks

[mt883]

Wow, I'd like to see this whole game. This clip was only 43 seconds, but Sabonis was clowning Robinson.

[pmutube12]

I watched the game live and Robinson was no match for Sabonis. Pity he entered NBA 10 years later. Had he done it before there´s no doubt he´d been best center in the NBA.

[mt883]

I can't disagree with you. I think only Hakeem would've been a better center. No telling what kinda powerhouse the Blazers could've been with a prime, healthy Sabonis.

[wg390]

Sabonis was and still super star

[oregoncoastman]

He was easily one of the better centers to play the game. He was a very good NBA player, even though his mobility was greatly impaired by many injuries by the time he got to Portland. I honestly think that the Blazers could have won one or two championships in the early 90s if they had him in the roster then.

[pluto545]

Alot of people look at me funny when I bring up his name, but the thing about Sabonis, he might have been the most talented big men in basketball over the last 25 years. His game was complete...very tall (7,4), very athletic and explosive (especially for someone that size or even shorter), great shooting range (20 feet), great free throw shooter (most big men aren't), and phenominal passer (the only other big men who I can think that could pass that well is Divac and Chamberlain).

[albertc86]

Same here. Had Sabonis been injury-free and in his prime in the NBA, he would've been up there with Robinson, Ewing, Hakeem, Shaq, Morning, etc... Hakeem and Sabonis in their prime would've been interesting; their games were somewhat similar.

[walrus51976]

In middle 80's there was a big physical difference between NBA and Europe,that difference is today much shorter (though still real).People like Sabonis,Marciolonis,Volkov,Pet­rovic,Gallis...with their great talent would have been major NBA stars nowadays.

[jhordanian]

That rebound-dunk was insane. What athleticism. He was tall, fast, and could jump. It's amazing for Americans like myself, who have only seen Sabas as a Portland Trailblazer, to see him when he was young. A truly great talent.

[jhordanian]

Sabas would have been an all-star in the NBA. When he finally came over to Portland he was a shell of his former self. When he was young he was atheletic, could jump, run, block shots. Even as a near cripple, Sabas still averaged 13 points + 10 rebounds in the NBA and was a top passing big man; he even developed a 3 point shot. When he fouled out (on terrible calls) in game 7 of the 2000 West Conference Finals, Portland completely unraveled. A true shame we in the US didnt see him in his prime.

[AceroySangre]

Arvydas schooled David Robinson. To bad this man did not enter the NBA in his 20s and before his Injury. This man would have been a Top 4-5 Center of All Time. Man did the NBA Miss Out!

[WILTALK]

By the time Sabonis played for the Blazers he had lost most of his mobility because of the multiple knee operations. He still was better defensivly on Shac than anyone else. Thats why the Blazers always gave the Lakers trouble. It's a shame we never got to see him in his prime. The closest we got was that 1988 game against Robinson. He argueable could have benn the best center ever. He didn't have one weakness. Even as a cripple he was still amazing to watch when he played for the Blazers.

[WILTALK]

Sabonis got some bad calls against him and he had to sit most of that game in foul trouble and it effected his play in the latter part of the game. If he plays the whole game the USA gets really destroyed. Sobonis,Marchilonis and volkov their best players were all very young. Sobonis dominated Robinson like no one ever has. That was a great team. Marchelonis was unstoppable on drives in the NBA because of his strengh until injurys shortened his carier. Volkov also became a starter in the NBA.

[lukosius1221]

Amazing player:) he was playing in Zalgiris when he was just 16. He has almost every big title, european, world, olympic champion, VERY SAD THAT he didn't win NBA, he was so close, Trial Blazers was leading in the last quarter by 15 points and lost :((( if he had one that he would have probably been one of the best players in basketball history but he is still one of those best :)

[heliosora]

WHAT A PLAYER!!GREAT CENTER,BEST IN EUROPE EVER IN MY OPINION!IMAGINE A FANTASTIC UNITED EUROPE TEAM AT EARLY 90s CONSISTED OF SABONIS,DIVAC,PETROVITS,SAN EPIFANIO AND GALIS.BEST IN THE WORLD WITHOUT DOUBT!

[assyrianpimp1]

i heard he his gov. wouldnt let him go to the US and thats why he came later at 95.

[prestidge]

True story

[LithuanianBasketball]

Definetly Sabonis is the best skilled basketball bigman ever. He was amazing to whatch in his early years when he hadn't injuries... When he came into NBA he was slow and old. NBA hadn't seen the real sabonis... He was shooting 3pointers as good as ray allen he could pass like jasson kidd, and man ce could JUMP!!

you see that even david robinson was as a shiny kidd to compare him with Sabonis...

[alcorderyjr]

Man do I wish people in the United States could've seen him play in the NBA during his prime! I remember watching him kill Robinson again in the '88 Seoul Olympics, and I couldn't believe that Europe had a player that was this good, Arvidas COULD DO EVERYTHING! In his prime he was a HEALTHY BILL WALTON WITH THREE-POINT SHOOTING RANGE! He was crazy!

[PeekaPeep]

Portland actually drafted Sabonis the same year as this video (24th pick in 1st rd). I guess the front office back then knew just how good this guy was more than anyone else in the NBA at the time. Shame, his coming to the Blazers then would've most likely kicked off a potential early '90s dynasty with the club they already had in place (Porter,Drexler, Kersey,B. Williams, Duckworth as back-up). Ahhh, to what could've been...

<:-}

[alcorderyjr]

That team would've won the NBA Championship in my opinion too. A healthy athletic Sabonis against the Bull centers of Bill Cartwright, Will Perdue and Scott Williams? Don't make me laugh! Don't forget Portland's bench in 1990, they had a certain rookie by the name of Drazen Petrovic! In '91 they got Danny Ainge and also had a younger, more athletic Cliff Ronbinson, I've got to agree with you, "ahhh, to what could've ben ..."

[muffiukas]

so way your lebron and all usa team hasn't won world champ??? it should be easy

by the way have u watched european basketball ever?

[tupacshakur5o7]

muffiukas, Sabinas was very, very good, but to say Europe is better at basketball than the US is ridiculously stupid. Lebron would be bored in Europe because it would be too easy for him to score, rebound and defend.

[LithuanianBasketball]

you think so becose you don't know the rules of europeans basketball. In european basketball you can;t do the things such as 2 steps than stop and shoot you have to dribble before you start drive. o to beat defensive player in europe is no easy, also becose the big man is always near the basket so he can block and make the offensive player to shoot a difficult shot.

and last point is that in europeans basketball 1 man is nothing, becose its a teamplay

[muffiukas]

no guy of nba elite hasn't won so much titles as sabas did!!! nobady can play like him... if u think nba mvp is all...then put mj in europe and lets see if he gets mvp...or if he's too old then put lebron ( second mj) in europe...i guess he will get 15 points/game the best...

i remember olympics when USA had iverson, duncan, bron... and iverson was the best in usa with 14poins/game.

europe is basketball - usa is show

[boussios]

lebron would get 15 a game in europe? ahahahahhhhhahahahahahahahahah­ahhahahahahahahahahhhhhahahaha­hahahahahahah try close to 50 bro

[dougaldrichrules]

Sabonis owned Robinson just like Shaq and Hakeem use to. If this guy entered the NBA in 85', 86' or even 89' then he would have been a top 10 NBA C of all time.

[boussios]

i can agree was this though

[fackingLT]

USSR teams starting 5 was almost all from Lithuania thats why USSR was so good

[ab40]

if sabonis would've came to the nba when he was say 22 to portland you know. they would've had a real dynasty you know with the glyde. Then shaq and kobe would be being compared to those two. Sabonis is a top 10 center in the all time history of basketball worldwide

[isaacd35]

Robinson Was only a 10 time all-star without duncan?

[DeepHauz]

my father has been watching the NBA since we came to the states in 1987. And he saw Sabonis play in the Soviet League as well as for the national team in the 80s. He told me that at one point, Sabonis would have been the best center in the NBA...had he been allowed to play there.

[Kretinga22042005]

Sabonis #1

[Serj2]

That must of been kind of weird, thinking you're like flat out the greatest at the game, and then this Sabonis guy you've never heard of just dominating, you're just like "who the hell is this guy??"

But as for greatest of all-time? Nay. I'd rank him like just above Patrick Ewing for big men

[basdekis]

Sabonis was a far better player than David Robinson. Robinson was nothing without Duncan.

[arachula]

ok, great comparison of that ONE game....

now lets compare their careers....

ouch

[FloydElectricOrder]

That USA team also had Danny Manning, Mitch Richmond, and Dan Majerle. They were real good, but they were all conquered by Sabonis.

[carl231]

muggsy bouges is the man!

[Palanthas]

The 1986 USSR team and especially Sabonis, my all time fave player, were the reason I fell in love with basketball, I still remember most of these legendary players' names.

[infantrymine]

Yes, but... who won the world championships in 1986 ?

[Palanthas]

The US team by 2 points. Who cares, Sabonis was still the man. And it's been 13 years since the last time the NBA "elites" have seen a World Championship final. :)

[infantrymine]

Who cares about the NBA elites (though they will win in the Olympic Games) ? In 1986, USA college boys were able to beat big and slow USSR pros.

[Palanthas]

Don't get me wrong man, I love(d) the NBA, especially back then, there were just too many awesome players to mention and I've been a Lakers fan ever since. But the USSR team was fantastic to watch as a team and Sabonis really stood out.

[IllinoisBoy39th]

damn

[svinariezas]

Fantastic. Sabas is the best center of all times.

[papachulu]

sabas kickes robinson big ass

[aenaegir]

hey gidi..

[Just4S]

Sabas :)