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Portland Trail Blazers: 25 Best Players To Play For The Trail Blazers

By Phil Watson

Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; A general view during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; A general view during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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PORTLAND, : Portland Trailblazers Arvydas Sabonis (L) locks arms with Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O’Neal (R) 29 February 2000 in Portland, OR. (DAN LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, : Portland Trailblazers Arvydas Sabonis (L) locks arms with Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O’Neal (R) 29 February 2000 in Portland, OR. (DAN LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images) /

Considered one of the best players in the world, the NBA never got to see the best of Arvydas Sabonis.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected the Soviet big man 24th overall in the 1986 NBA Draft, but it would be nine years before he made his way to the West.

POR_09_SABONIS
POR_09_SABONIS /

He was signed away from Real Madrid in Spain in September 1995 and was an All-Rookie selection in 1995-96 at the age of 31. He was fifth in the NBA in field goal percentage that season.

He returned to Lithuania to play in 2001-02 before coming back to the Blazers in September 2002. Waived in August 2003, Sabonis played a final season in Lithuania before retiring in 2004.

In seven seasons in Portland, Sabonis averaged 12 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game, shooting .500/.328/.786.

Before coming to the NBA, Sabonis was a six-time Euroscar Player of the Year, twice the Mr. Europa Player of the Year and was an Olympic gold medalist with the Soviet Union in 1988 and twice won bronze medals with Lithuania (1992 and 1996).

He also led the Soviet Union to a FIBA World Championship gold medal (now the FIBA World Cup) in 1982.

Sabonis was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Next: NAIA Prospect Made Waves

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