One of the greatest players to ever play the game, Arvydas Sabonis, has finally been picked for NBA Hall of Fame. He was on the list of candidates several times before but only now Sabas received a well deserved recognition.

The 220 cm Lithuanian center was not only lethal in the paint. His amazing understanding of the game and passes that many point guards could only dream of made Sabas a truly exceptional player.

After dominating European and international scene for a decade, Sabonis moved to NBA in 1995-96 season after signing a deal with Portland Trail Blazers. Sabas made his NBA debut at the age of 31 but was still able to make an impact despite being slowed down by Achilles and knee injuries that cost him some of his athleticism.

Sabonis spent seven years in NBA. All that time with the Blazers. Despite being a veteran he averaged Player Efficiency Rating of over 21 per game. Many fans are still wondering what impact Sabas would have had if he joined NBA several years earlier or he wasn’t slowed down by serious injuries.

After completing his NBA career, Sabonis returned to his home town Kaunas to keep his promise and finish his career with his first pro club Zalgiris. At the age of 39 Arvydas Sabonis was named the MVP of Euroleague regular season. He almost led Zalgiris to its second Final Four appearance in Euroleague in five years.

Currently 46-year-old Sabonis the president of Zalgiris. Recently he has been handed a role of EuroBasket 2011 ambassador and is promoting the tournament around Europe.

Some of the best moments of Arvydas Sabonis’ career:

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