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Sabonis lacks youthful grace but is as important as ever

by Brian Meehan | April 22, 2001

LOS ANGELES -- The noted author Shaquille O'Neal says he owns him. Lakers coach Phil Jackson says the Blazers can't win without him on the floor. Rasheed Wallace . . . well, Wallace doesn't say anything so we don't know if he has apologized yet for the terrible towel toss seen around the world.

But any way you look at it, the towering presence of Arvydas Sabonis gives the Blazers a chance against the defending champions.

Despite aging legs and several devastating injuries, the 36-year-old Sabonis remains one of the best centers in the world. He has played at this rarefied level for an amazing 20 years. As a young player in Europe, Sabonis was compared favorably to the great American big men of the era, players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.

At 18, Sabonis won his first gold medal in the world championships with the Soviet Union. The year was 1982; a fourth-grader named Shaquille O'Neal was just learning how to dribble a basketball.

Sabonis has come so far since then. He is not as graceful as he once was, and at times he turns over the ball too much. In last Sunday's loss to the Lakers, Sabonis drew the spotlight when an irate Wallace threw a towel in his face during a time out. The incident overshadowed what is true about Lithuania's greatest player -- he remains the best passing big man in the NBA, a top defensive rebounder and an efficient scorer.

He performs on ever-long, ever-aching legs. He has played through two ruptured Achilles' tendons and assorted knee and foot injuries.

When you ask how he feels, the answer comes in a booming Eastern European baritone.

"Regular," says the man who speaks five languages. Regular means he's in pain, as usual.

"This guy plays in pain every game and still does the job," Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said.

In his recent book, O'Neal ridiculed Sabonis and proclaimed he owned the Blazers center.

"I don't see why not," Kobe Bryant said after the Lakers practiced Saturday. "Shaq pretty much owns everybody else in the league. I don't see why Sabonis would be any different."

Despite the talk, the Lakers respect Sabonis' talent. Rick Fox wishes he had seen Sabonis play when the big man still could run. Jackson sees Sabonis as a key to the series.

"They can't win if he's not out there," Jackson said. "He is like the only guy in the game right now that can hold Shaq in a position. And I am sure when I say that Shaq will be offended because he doesn't want to think anybody can. Sabonis has got a big enough body that they can just place him behind Shaq and make Shaq have to go through him to get to the basket."

O'Neal was more diplomatic Saturday in his comments.

"He's a great player and he is going to be ready tomorrow." O'Neal said. "I am the only big strong guy who is not allowed to use more than 20 percent of his strength. So any guy that pushes me out is only pushing 20 percent of my strength. If I used all of my strength, it would be unfair."

Sabonis pays little attention to the woofing. He seems amused by it all. He says he must be more physical against O'Neal and that the Lakers center is even stronger than Vladimir Tkachenko, the 7-foot-1 Russian strongman Sabonis battled as a teen-ager.

"O'Neal is stronger physically," he said, "but Tkachenko was strong, too, you know. I started my basketball career playing against him and now am ending it against Shaq."

Two mountainous bookends to frame a career that has included three world championships and a 1988 Olympic gold medal with the Soviets, two titles with Real Madrid in Spain and countless no-look passes that reminded the world that even a 7-3 center can master the graceful arts of the game.

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