http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/story?id=1594410 Sabonis to spend more time with family Tuesday, August 12 Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis will not return to the NBA next season, his agent said Tuesday. The 7-foot-3 center told his agent, Chicago-based Herb Rudoy, he was retiring to spend more time with his family in Lithuania. "He informed me yesterday that it was not his intention to come back and play this year," Rudoy said Tuesday. Rudoy informed the Trail Blazers of Sabonis' decision on Monday, team spokesman Mike Hanson said. Sabonis was scheduled to be in Portland this week for a team physical. Instead, he has stayed home in Lithuania. The team and Sabonis had until Friday to sign a deal that would have guaranteed his $7 million salary for the upcoming season. If the Trail Blazers trade him before Friday, a team could gain cap relief from his salary. Sabonis has already retired once, sitting out the 2001-2002 season when he also cited the desire to spend more time with his family A fan favorite, Sabonis joined the Trail Blazers in 1995 and has averaged 12 points and 7.3 rebounds in 470 games. He is seventh on the team's career list for rebounds with 3,436. Considered by many to be one of the best European players ever, Sabonis helped the Soviet Union win the 1988 Olympic gold medal, which included a semifinal win over the United States. The Trail Blazers drafted him in 1986, but waited almost a decade for his arrival. His departure leaves the Trail Blazers with one proven center, Dale Davis, and one prospect, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, who has played sparingly in 35 games over two seasons. Imagine what Yao will do to the Blazers now that Sabonis is gone! -- droxford
i dont know if anybody here knows what im talking about.......but in game 7 against the mavs this year, i saw sabonis make what i thought was one of the best plays of the whole playoffs. he was down in the post, facing the basket, and all of a sudden he one-hands the ball backwards without looking at all to some guy at the top of the key. i dont know how he saw the guy. it was seriously amazing. anyway, just thought i'd share that.
Arvydas Sabonis was supposed to be the greatest Euro player to hit the US. Too bad he came when he was 32 (?) years old and his knees were dying on him. He was something back in his prime, from what I hear. He had a great assortment of qualities: nearly the power of Shaq, the finesse of Dream, and the court vision of JKidd (ok, that one may be stretching it, but you get the picture ). It's a shame most of us will only remember a lumbering giant who had a sweet stroke and little else. If this retirement proves to be true (you never know, he might pull a Jordan and come back again), it's a sad day for basketball fans around the world. But who cares about that? THE BLAZERS ARE WEAKER!! GO ROCKETS!
yeh, too bad he came here on bad knees. this guy is supposedly the best international center all time. one ex-player that was on this espn show lastnight called him bill walton X 10. and probably the best passing big man ever.
