Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis (born May 3, 1996) is a Lithuanian-American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and weighing 240 pounds (109 kg), Sabonis is widely regarded as one of the most versatile big men in the league, known for his elite rebounding, technical passing, and bruising presence in the paint.

A three-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2021, 2023) and two-time All-NBA Third Team selection, Sabonis has led the NBA in rebounding for three consecutive seasons (2023–2025). He played two seasons of college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs before being selected 11th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Internationally, he represents the Lithuanian national team, with whom he won a silver medal at EuroBasket 2015.

Early Life and Family

Sabonis was born in Portland, Oregon, while his father, legendary Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. His mother, Ingrida Mikelionytė, was the first Miss Lithuania in 1988. He is the second-youngest of four children; his father famously predicted that Domantas would be the one to follow his NBA footsteps due to his “stubborn nature”.

After his father’s retirement in 2003, the family moved to Spain, where Sabonis began his basketball development in the youth ranks of Unicaja Málaga. At just 17 years old, he became the youngest player to debut for Unicaja in the Spanish ACB league. Despite being offered a professional contract worth over $600,000, Sabonis declined the deal to preserve his eligibility for college basketball in the United States.

College Career (2014–2016)

Sabonis enrolled at Gonzaga University in 2014, choosing to play for coach Mark Few.

• Freshman Season (2014–2015): Primarily coming off the bench, he averaged 9.7 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game. He shot a staggering 66.8% from the field and was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team and the All-WCC Second Team.
• Sophomore Season (2015–2016): Sabonis transitioned into a dominant starter, averaging 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds (ranking 6th nationally). He recorded 23 double-doubles and led Gonzaga to the Elite Eight, earning AP Honorable Mention All-American honors.

He finished his two-year career as Gonzaga’s all-time leader in field goal percentage (.632) and became the 41st player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.

NBA Career

Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers (2016–2022)

Drafted 11th overall by the Orlando Magic, Sabonis was traded on draft night to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He started 66 games as a rookie but struggled to find his rhythm, averaging 5.9 points. In July 2017, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers alongside Victor Oladipo in exchange for Paul George.

In Indiana, Sabonis flourished, developing into a walking double-double. By the 2019-20 season, he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time, averaging 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds. He followed this with another All-Star selection in 2021, where he also won the NBA Skills Challenge.

Sacramento Kings (2022–present)

On February 8, 2022, Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a blockbuster move for Tyrese Haliburton. His arrival was the catalyst for the Kings’ historic 2022-23 season, where they broke a 17-year playoff drought. That year, he led the league in rebounding (12.3 rpg) and earned All-NBA Third Team honors.

In the 2023-24 season, Sabonis achieved a modern NBA record by recording 61 consecutive double-doubles, the longest such streak since the ABA-NBA merger. In 2024, he was named Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year for the fifth time.

2025–2026 Season

The Sacramento Kings’ 2025–26 campaign suffered its most definitive blow on February 18, 2026, when the team announced that three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The surgery was season ending and Sabonis will not be suiting up. 

 

National Team Career

Representing Lithuania, Sabonis has been a mainstay since his youth. He was the youngest player to debut for the senior team at age 19 during EuroBasket 2015, where Lithuania won the silver medal. He played in the 2016 Rio Olympics and led the team during the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, averaging 12.5 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Career Highlights

• 3× NBA All-Star (2020, 2021, 2023)
• 2× All-NBA Third Team (2023, 2024)
• 3× NBA Rebounding Leader (2023–2025)
• 5× Lithuanian Player of the Year
• NBA Skills Challenge Champion (2021)

Personal Life

Sabonis is married to Shashana Rosen, a former Los Angeles Lakers dancer, with whom he has two children. Despite his Portland birth, he identifies strongly as Lithuanian and frequently returns to Kaunas during the off-season. He is fluent in Lithuanian, Spanish, and English.