Arvydas Sabonis' Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.พ. 2012
- International basketball pioneer Arvydas Sabonis delivers his speech upon being enshrined to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2011. To learn more about Arvydas Sabonis take a look at his official Hall of Fame bio at www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famer...
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His speech was like his NBA career, short but impactful.
So sad he was already 30 or 31 when he went to the NBA. He could have been even greater.
So true.
The soviet union didint let him play it was a lot of political bullshit.
olympic chip, actually, which he did win
It's not as bad the age as the fact as that he moved to the NBA when he pretty much was an one legged cripple. And he still played at the level he did. Boy this guy was something else.
Much much greater he had bad legs to start with in the nba
One of the most UNDERRATED players of the 90s. Such a great player and a humble man. Many players can learn from this guy.
Arguably one of the most underrated players EVER now, I'd say. In his prime, he was arguably one of the best players ever, top 5 all-time maybe.
Rik Smits was 1 of the most underrated
I am so nostalgic for him, this guy was my childhood hero.
Damn…That was short, sweet, and to the point. Just how a speech should be. Thanks for the great memories Arvydas.
He truly was one of the best centers ever.
He was a monster in Europe..amazing ball player..one of best centers ever...
from Brasil...
congrats,great Sabonis !!
One of the few Greatest players of all time!
Love from Athens Greece.
πέστα ρε Θόδωρε
Without a doubt. When he was in his prime, he was absolutely amazing. He was like a gigantic version of Larry Bird. Never has anybody that big, before or since, ever had such a well rounded set of skills.
Oscar Schmidt's speech: 18 minutes
Sabonis' speech: 1 minute and 20 sec
Hes not really good at english so idk
@@dovydasjakstas4443 I believe it's about personality, about character thing. Oscar Schmidt is extrovert pearson, Sabonis is not. He is a shy giant. His main 'speech' is on the court, where he 'said' everything.
Schmidt has to bang on about how he scored the most points etc. Everyone knows what Sabonis did
The young sabonis is perfect for small ball era. Speed, defense and 3 point ability.
i saw videos of him playing when he was younger, before he went to the us, still with cccp. he was simply perfect. great player. legend.
If Sabonis was in his prime pre NBA-Pre injury he would right now be the best center in the league. A 7"3 Larry Bird. Just like 50 years ago Wilt, if put in a time machine would be the best right now..
Portland got done dirty... First Walton, than Sabonis. WIthout those injuries, People wouldn't be so quick to talk about Wilt and Kareem. Not that Oden did anything with his career or Sam Bowie but even if ONE of them avoided injuries and played to their potential they could have easily been better than a Wilt/Kareem/Shaq progression. Lucky it seems Portland passed their injury hex to Philly.
@@bli3859 Sabonis was injured before he even arrived in the NBA lol
@@bli3859 Yeah, Portland's history got really screwed because of injuries. Don't forget Brandon Roy either...
But Sabonis did the move to the Blazers years after his achilles injury, and the several other significant ones. Before making the move he had to pass a medical and the Blazers' medical team advised against giving him a contract, it was so bad. Thankfully he was still signed. So one can hardly say "man, Portland has bad luck with injuries" in his case. They signed him after his injuries, not before.
I think that Sabonis' case was not bad luck, honestly. There's so much a human body can handle, and a 7 foot 3'' frame moving the way he used to before the injuries...something had to give. Someone that size couldn't move the way he did without breaking at some point (one of the reasons I'm really fearful about Porzingis, btw). And he eventually broke. As simple as that. But even when he was playing pretty much one legged...boy what a player.
Vern Pascal Blazers had Sam Bowie, Walton, Sabonis, Oden. No luck at all
Sabonis could shoot the Sky Hook too and Playmake like Magic if he was a center
he isnt UNDERRATED !!!!!everybody knows how great he was.He is one of the top 5 centers of all time
that bullshit
1-wilt
2-kareem
3-Hakeem
4-russell
5-Shaq
sabonis got outscores by david robinson twice first in the 1986 fiba championship (robinson 20 pts and sabonis 16 pts) and in the 1988 olympics (robinson 19 pts sabonis 13 pts) sabonis was in his prime at that time if you cant even outscores david robinson there no way you can even be in the top 5 smh
+prince kelvin fuck u robinson is an all star jack ass he once scored 70 i guess michael i out the question
prince kelvin he entered nba at 31 years of age
So you are judging who is better basketball player just by showing who outscores who?:D Lol.
Firat Nacar Kareem, wilt, bill, Hakeem, David Robinson, Mikan, Shaq, Alonzo, Dikembe, and even Dwight Howard are better.
that was short the shortest hof speech ever
Cuz he is from people who ready to do, not just talk and waste your time ^^ anyway, all what other guys trying to say whole 10 min, he said on 30 sec, so still dosent matter. The guy still can talk 3 different laguage much better, when everyone on this hall can talk only one.
Yeah but with quality!
Abe Lincoln had short speeches.
He can speak in English, in Spanish, in Russian and in native language Lithuanian ( 4 languages)
@@varneris 5 languages polish too.
He was one of my favorite Blazers. Non-blazer fans don't realize how good he was even when hobbled by injury. Incredible passer, gobbled up rebounds, unstoppable when he got the ball down low.
I knew him way before he came to Portland and, believe me, you haven’t seen nothing. Is one of the top 5 center ever for me.
Greatest hall of fame speech ever.
Quote from Shaq on Sabonis "He was the original Real Deal!!!"
Великий игрок. Мне довелось смотреть на его игру в далёком 1989 году...
This HOF is not the NBA HOF. NBA stands for National Basketball Association. This is the Naismith HOF, which includes international (Sabonis, Schmidt, Meneghin etc), amateur (Globetrotters, Rens etc) and collegiate (Walton, Sampson) candidates. I hope you read this and continue to learn more about BASKETBALL history, not just NBA history.
The titles for these clips don't make the distinction between the two classes. Just a generic heading "Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement"
The term Hall of Famer should be reserved for those who had elite careers at the highest levels. It shouldn't be "all inclusive" for those who've sometimes made very minor contributions. There Can Be Only One, H.O.F., and to be in it should be very, very particular company
If Europe wants their own HOF then they should proceed . Dino Radja and Sarunas Marciulionis were average players in the NBA. I'm glad they paved the way for their country but if every country that puts out slightly above average NBA players ,coaches, broadcasters, amateurs, hot dog vendors, etc etc ..get honored ITS GONNA BE A LONG F"ING NIGHT EVERY YEAR !
Sabonis would've made "the legit" HOF if he were allowed the NBA in the late 80s. They need to change the title to "honorary h.o.f.'er" but a more clear distinction must be made
Well said.
@@monolithgeometry3221 A bit of a late reply but you are absolutely wrong. These guys that you mentioned (Radja and Marciulionis) and many others, Petrovic, Kukoc, Sabonis, Divac, etc, paved the way for the NBA introduction to the international players, they basically proved to americans that there are some damn good basketball players outside the US too. Just think about it, without them, the NBA that we have today wouldnt be even remotely the same, as of right now, 4 out of 5 best NBA players are international. And not just that, they helped popularise the sport worldwide, you have europeans and asian people staying awake till 4-5am watching NBA, and that started with these european legends, thats why they are inducted in rhe HOF and rightfully so. Also one last thing, players like Kemba, Paul George and Derozan are basically locks for HOF, you are seriously telling me they are better players or they had better careers then the guys mentioned above? Give me a break please.
I really loved his contributions to the game. Such a pleasure to watch
a legend. his speech was short and to the point.
sabonis live in lithuania my country👍
This guy in his prime in Europe was a freak of nature. A 7''3 Center who was so dominate that was the nightmare of his opponents . Strong as Wilt Chamberlain, great shooter as Larry Bird and one great 3 point shooter in an era that the big guys wasnt shooting these shots at all. Great, just great !
Now his son is tearing it up and he would have been the greatest center to ever play if he got in earlier
Would have never been greater than Kareem or Russell. He’s was great but not on their level
he just looks like such a great dad😅
trump wardell he is actualy
We hated him as a opponent, but always respected him the most as a player. Greetings from ex Yugoslavia, Croatia
We also hated Dražen :), but always respected him for incredible passion, hard work and strive for victory
@@jonasoskinis7464 I also strongly admire lithuanians for opposing communists from Moscow and keeping catholic faith.
@@marios8120 I think Kaunas team somehow learned that Dražen is staying after training to make additional shots so Chomičius and Kurtinaitis stayeed after training to also made hundreds of additional 3 pointers :) These 1986 Cibona - Žalgiris battles were incredible
Rip City Legend
Sabonis is a living legend.
Best speech ever. That's all you need.
Legend
Short and sweet. Like his nba career 🥲
best center ever
He is def up there with the best Centers ever,great passing skills for a big man.Some of those clips looked like he owned Shaq several different occasions.
👍👍👍👍😀
You know this guy’s a legend when his son is a stud in the nba right now and is no where near his level
The greatest Center ever! outside the USA
Im happy that his son is playing well right now in the league.
SABONIS The Legend!!!
Two of the greatest passing big men to ever play standing on stage. You better cut, and you better have your hands up! RIP Bill.
First time i heard his voice wow it was so deep and low
His son is following in his footsteps!!
Arvydas Sabonis was a very underrated basketball player.
Think about Dirk, what he can do, the speed, shoting the 3, add great visual for passing and put it all on a 7"4 frame and you have a glimpse of the player Sabonis was in his prime. He joined the nba past his prime and after 2 career-ending injuries. Do it for yourself, look at videos of him in his prime and think that he was able to still be great in the NBA past his prime.
very well deserved sabonis 11
'also one the GREATEST to have ever played the game'' He was already past his prime and wd various injuries when american fans saw his games in the NBA. KUDOS Arvydas.
My fave from Trailblazers
RIP CITY FOR LIFE
Legend!
The biggest what if in NBA history
Yep, probably
Same with Yao Ming.
he got the deepest voice i ever heard
Love 🇱🇹 Lithuania!
Toni Kukoc needa to get into NBA HOF
man, not many people make bill walton look short, but he's one of 'em
What's equally impressive about this man was that he did all this at 7'3" 290+ lbs...on seriously injured wheels.
wish he was playing in the nba during his insane accomplishment and years of his prime in the euro league...
he was the first big man that run up/down the court... while also shoot the 3... that has jumpers.. big man that can back you own to rim... total package of a player...
Among centers he has been the best passer.
and a 3 pointer
Great
Elegant Laconism.
Short and succinct speech, I liked it! And yes if he played his whole career in the NBA he would have been the greatest center ever. Believe that. He was still pretty good when he came to the NBA.
Indeed
Красавчік,як Жальгіріс порва Югославов,після першої половини 24очка програвали,догнали ,та перемогли.Сабоніс був супер-зіркою світового баскетболу і залишається одним з кращіх ігроків світу.
Sabonis was the best european player who came into NBA together with toni kukoc, pau gasol, dirk nowitzki, toni parker & the late drazen petrovic.
i love that the NBA acknowledges the accomplishments of players outside the league. if this guy was in America in the 80's he would have demolished the league.
I read a lot "underrated"... He is only underrated in USA. The vast majority of the world of that generation knows that he was the best player in the world during the 80's while he was healthy
He has an incredible, deep voice. He could easily find work as a voice actor if he wanted to!
The Best " C " of basketball history !
He is a first valour HOF for sure. Only Olajuwon is more skilled than him, easily the best passer big man of all times. The guy is a legend.
Rafael Teles Dawg totally. Basketball is an international sport. Sabonis was legit and one of the first Europeans to come to the NBA. Totally right about Olajuwon, the best center all time.
Yep, the two most skilled big men ever are Sabonis and Olajuwon. Sabonis had better hands, Olajuwon was much quicker with his feet and more athletic. To me the only centres that come close are the more phyisically dominant ones.Wilt, Shaq, Bill Russel because he was impossible to get past, and Kareem because he was just incredibly good at putting the ball through the hoop.
A shame we didn't see Sabonis at his physical prime playing in the NBA, even in his late 30s he was fantastic and that Trailblazers team was possibly the most fun to watch basketball team I have ever seen.
In Europe he was one of the best centers to ever play the game if not the best. I am just sad he never had the chance to come to NBA much earlier. The damage he would do believe me. Those interested in History of Basketball watch him in his prime,he had everything,he passed the ball like a point guard,he could shoot three pointers,standing at 7'3. In Lithuania there is not a single person and I mean not a single person that wouldn't know who Sabonis was. Its the same for United States with Michael Jordan .So sad he couldn't come earlier. FUCK the Soviet Union.They wanted to destroy Lithuanian basketball but they failed .
Lithuania today is shithole without the USSR 🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️
@@allengreene9954 You are an asshole, the USSR kept all the baltic countries poor, when they became independent countries the economy grew insanely.
El discurso más corto para el talento más largo de la historia del juego interior.
One of my favorite center next to Kareem Abdul Jabbar..
This dude is basically a carbon copy of Bill Walton in terms of skillset and playing style... except BIGGER! Can you just imagine how much damage he would have done had he been able to enter the NBA in his prime?
don't forget Kersey!
Victor Bruins Porter too
I think he belongs in the nba hall too
Basketball Hall of Fame
NBA is the GAME OF BASKETBALL!
@Bernard Poindexter Why is he an idiot? because he didn't know something that you did?
a speech longer than his career
@Alejandro Matias… Its the BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME… Not the NBA Hall of Fame… Which means they look at a player's career… amateur and pro… and for that… Sabonis belongs.
Respect from Taiwan
Man people so many people just dont understand that if he wouldve been drafted when he was 21-22 years old he would probably have ended his career as one of the top 5 big men of all time. He was an absolute beast in nba and was a rookie at 30!
There has been no big man with his shooting ability. Shaq shooting threes?
It's his passing which was off charts for a big man like that
wish he was in the nba in his heyday.
🙏💚🇱🇹💚🙏
now kleiza in raptors tearing it up
Biggest what if in nba history
Unfortunate that during the cold war us couldnt draft players from the soviet union , denied at 1986 and came to the nba at 1996 10 years later and had already blew at his 2 achilles and was still a beast
yeah, best center....
domantas is gonna be there one day
Fast forward, his son Domantas is now a superstar
why such short speech? :(
only once in a lifetime they get inducted... i would have love to hear a lot more.
Thats Sabas, always been short spoken!
I wouldve liked to hear more of his story as well. Oh well gonna have to sift through Google and TH-cam for it.
If only he could've and would've come to the NBA sooner, but he wasn't allowed to, I'm glad he was able to give the NBA some years even though late, if only injuries hadn't robbed him of some great years, but he was still effective.
Its was kind of crazy to see him almost retired playing very well against Shaq and other top younger centers. In his youth He would be surely between the top 5 big men of the league. Strong game high IQ in and out the post.
Best all around center Sabonis. No one can beat except e j fiel
I was born in Soviet Union and have been lucky enough to see him playing before his got injured,he was absolutely fantastic : strength,speed,pass, even 3 pointer,the most talented center ever,to bad he joined NBA at age 31 this no health,but at least he was able to show some of his talents
He didn't look too comfortable up there - i had a chance to meet him once and he was really well spoken and humble (yet huge and awesome at the same time). My guess is he just didn't want to be speaking to an audience for too long.
But yeah, would've been nice to hear a bit more from him.
Sabnois is great but he sounds like a James bond villian
Best Center of ALL time.
Sabonis>Kareem>Hakeem>Shaq
Uhh I dunno about that bro lol
Hakeem>*
Baltic people are the current latvians and lithuanians. Their languages are not slavic, quite different to the russian language for example, and although they may look not very different in terms of physical appearance but culturally they are different. In case of the latvians, the language has important influences of the Swedish language. But anyway, 40 % of the latvians are not baltics, as they are russians, because of the common past in the former Soviet Union. You can invetigate abou it.
If sabonis and MJ was played together its 10 rings ;)
he's what my sonics were missing on that 92 to 96 run....GGgrrrrrrr.....instead we had stiff Jim Maclevane and the Drunk Vin Baker
@@mattcoffee1269 Jim Maclevane the beginning of the end! Worst decision in Sonics History.
I totally agree with Karolis.
He might not be a top 5 center in the nba but he definitely is a top 5 center in the world
Only because he came to the NBA well past his prime. The only player remotely close to him in shooting ability is Yao.
agreed. much respect for drazen but arvydas was just on a whole other level.
yes, he was a centar and Dražen was shooting guard 😀
That big mofo can ball I wanted them to beat Kobe and Shaq so bad but the old man was too injured and too old and the refs hatef Rasheed Wallace for some strange reason
What could have been if he played in his 20’s, in the NBA.
Aciu!
Imagine Sabonis in Portland in 1989 with Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Buck Williams and Cliff Robinson all in their primes....What could have been. That team would have battled Chicago each year in the finals like the Lakers/Celtics did a few years before.
Imagine those Portland teams with A.S. and Sam Bowie. Would have been an interesting 90s
such a MACHO voice!
Bass