Who is Domantas Sabonis? His Personal Life, NBA Draft, Height and Weight

Quick Facts

The Lithuanian-American basketball power forward/ center player Domantas Sabonis has distinguished himself as a very passionate and crafty player. Coming from a lineage of basketball stars; his effective pick and roll skills have kept him at the top of his burgeoning basketball career. He has been impressive in the court and ever ready to give nothing less than the best. Learn more about the power forward below.

Who is Domantas Sabonis?

Domantas Sabonis is a talented basketball player who plays the position of a power forward/center for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly played professionally in the Spanish and Euro League for the Unicaja Baloncesto junior team after which he moved to the US where he played college basketball with the Gozanga Bulldogs of Gozanga University.

Born in Portland, Oregon, Domantas Sabonis first stepped into this world on May 3, 1996. He was born to Arvydas Sabonis and his wife Ingrida Mikelionyte. His father is a basketball Hall of Famer who completed his professional career with the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. Sabonis is of Lithuanian ethnicity and holds a dual nationality of Lithuanian and American.

The youngster started playing basketball from a very young age; his father thought him the rudiments of the game which gave him an edge. When he was sixteen, Domantas joined Unicaja Malaga, a Spanish basketball team that features in EuroLeague as well as Liga ACB. During his stint with the team, Domantas was sent on a loan to Clinicas Rincon where he completed the 2012/13 season. Returning to Malaga the next season, Domantas appeared in the Liga ACB. Being just seventeen years old, he became the youngest player to ever debut in the Liga ACB. At the end of the 2013/14 season, Sabonis finished tenth in the FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year Award voting list.

During his stint with Malaga, the fast-rising star also led the junior team to clinch the silver medal at the Spanish Youth Basketball League. This time he entered the top five in the FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year Award list. Interestingly, Sabonis never penned a professional contract with Malaga so he could be eligible for the NCAA. He was recruited by the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the United States where he played just two seasons before joining the NBA draft of 2016.

At Gonzaga University, Domantas led the Bulldogs to win the WCC tournament during the 2014/15 season. He also helped the team advance to the Sweet 16 as well as the Elite 8 regional final. Although they lost to Duke University, Sabonis was able to finish the season scoring 7.1 rebounds and 9.7 points per game. He got All-WCC Freshman team as well as NCAA Tournament Southern Regional All-Tournament team selection. Wrapping up his college career as a sophomore, he got All-WCC First team call-up; All-American Second Team, and All American team selection after averaging 11.8 rebounds and 17.6 points per game that season.

NBA Draft

Following his impressive sophomore season, Sabonis declared for the 2016 draft and was eventually selected by the Orlando Magic. After the draft, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder alongside Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova in exchange for . The Lithuania star penned his rookie contract with Thunder on 12 August 2016.

Joining the Oklahoma City for his first professional season, Domantas Sabonis became the second Thunder after to be among the starting five members of the team. His exceptional balling skills drew the attention of the NBA which earned him a spot on the World Team for the Rising Stars Challenge of 2017. Sabonis netted 10 points to seal the World Team victory over the US Team in the Rising Star Challenge. He finished his rookie season averaging 3.6 rebounds and 5.9 points per game.

In 2017, the Luthiania star was traded to the Indiana Pacers alongside Victor Oladipo for . While the 2017/18 season was ongoing, Sabnis also got World Team selection for the second time consecutively. He led the World Team to triumph over the USA Team while scoring 11 rebounds and 13 points in the game. Domantas averaged 7.7 rebounds and 11.6 points by the end of the season while the Pacers took the team’s option for his contract.

His Personal Life

The amazing basketball prodigy has been wonderful since the inception of his career; thanks to his great instincts and basketball IQ. He was born into a family of basketball stars; his father Arvydas played basketball professionally from 1981 to 2005. He has three siblings, two brothers – Tautvydas and Zygimantas as well as a sister named Ausrine.

Check Out: 

Just like Domantas, his two older brothers are also professional basketball players who are based in Europe. The three brothers have equally represented the Lithuania national basketball team at different levels of international competitions.

Furthermore, the basketball star has not shared any information with regards to his relationship status. Apparently, he is still single and not married yet. He might be in a relationship but has decided to keep that away from the media eye. Meanwhile, Sabonis focal point is on reaching the climax of his burgeoning basketball career.

Height and Weight

Domantas Sabonis has an incredible height of 6 feet 10 inches or 2.08 m and a body weight of 252 pounds (114 kg). He has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.