Domantas Sabonis Bio
Domantas Sabonis is a Lithuanian-American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Lithuanian national team. Born on May 3, 1996, in Portland, Oregon, he plays the center and power forward positions. The son of Hall of Fame center Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas Sabonis has built his own reputation as one of the league’s most reliable rebounders and playmaking big men.
Since entering the NBA in 2016, Domantas Sabonis has earned three All-Star selections, two All-NBA Third Team honors, and three rebounding titles. He has been named Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year five times. He signed a five-year contract extension worth $217 million with the Sacramento Kings in 2023, the most lucrative contract in Lithuanian sports history.
Early Life and Background
Domantas Sabonis was born on May 3, 1996, in Portland, Oregon, while his father Arvydas Sabonis was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. His mother is Ingrida Mikelionytė, the first Miss Lithuania in 1988. He has two older brothers, Žygimantas and Tautvydas, and a younger sister, Aušrinė. His father singled him out as the most likely son to follow in his basketball footsteps because of his stubbornness and the fact that he is left-handed.
In 2004, when Arvydas retired from professional basketball, the family moved from Portland to Málaga, Spain. Growing up around the game in two different countries shaped Domantas Sabonis’s early understanding of basketball. He grew up watching his father, one of the greatest international players of his generation, and was surrounded by the sport from a very young age.
Path to Basketball
Domantas Sabonis began his professional career as a teenager with Unicaja Málaga in Spain’s top league. He debuted on September 5, 2012, at the age of 16, and was loaned to Clínicas Rincón for the 2012-13 season. He returned to Málaga the following year and became the youngest Unicaja player to debut in the Liga ACB at 17 years, five months, and 10 days. He later finished in the top 10 for the 2013 FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year Award.
In order to keep his college eligibility, Domantas Sabonis never signed a professional salary contract during his time in Spain. He declined a three-year offer worth $630,000 from Unicaja in 2014 and committed to Gonzaga University for the 2014-15 NCAA season. The decision allowed him to play in the United States and showcase his skills against top American competition.
Domantas Sabonis Career
Gonzaga Bulldogs (2014–2016)
Domantas Sabonis debuted for Gonzaga on November 14, 2014, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds. In his freshman season, he averaged 9.7 points and led the team with a 66.8 percent field-goal percentage and 7.1 rebounds per game. He helped lead Gonzaga to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team and the All-WCC Second Team.
As a sophomore, Domantas Sabonis emerged as one of the best big men in college basketball. He posted career highs of 36 points and 20 rebounds, was named First-team All-WCC, and earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. He led Gonzaga back to the NCAA Tournament and was later named to the CBS College Basketball All-America Third Team. He also became a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award before declaring for the 2016 NBA draft.
NBA Breakthrough: Oklahoma City Thunder (2016–2017)
Domantas Sabonis was selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2016 NBA draft and was traded on draft night to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He became the first Thunder player to debut as a starter since Kevin Durant, scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds in a season-opening win over the Philadelphia 76ers on October 26, 2016. He appeared in 66 of 81 games as a starter during his rookie season and was named to the World Team for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge.
The Thunder qualified for the 2017 NBA playoffs as the sixth seed, where they were eliminated by the Houston Rockets in the first round. Domantas Sabonis spent most of his time in Oklahoma City developing his all-around game, showing the passing and rebounding skills that would later define his career.
Indiana Pacers Era (2017–2022)
On July 6, 2017, Domantas Sabonis was traded along with Victor Oladipo to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Paul George. He quickly became a central piece of the Pacers’ roster, recording a then career-high 30 points in a win over the Charlotte Hornets in April 2018. In December 2018, he was named Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year for the first time.
In October 2019, Domantas Sabonis signed a four-year, $77 million contract extension with the Pacers. On January 21, 2020, he became the first Lithuanian in NBA history to record a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Denver Nuggets. He was then named to the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, becoming only the second Lithuanian All-Star after Žydrūnas Ilgauskas.
During the 2020-21 season, Domantas Sabonis established himself as one of the best passing big men in the league. He set a franchise record for most triple-doubles in a season and won the NBA Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend. He later scored a career-high 42 points on January 9, 2022, setting the record for the highest NBA scoring performance by a Lithuanian player.
Sacramento Kings Era (2022–Present)
On February 8, 2022, Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a deal that sent Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana. The trade was considered one of the most surprising of the season, but it quickly paid off. Sabonis helped lead the Kings to a third-place finish in the Western Conference and ended a 16-season playoff drought alongside guard De’Aaron Fox. He was named to his third NBA All-Star Game in 2023 and earned his first All-NBA Third Team selection.
In July 2023, Domantas Sabonis signed a five-year contract extension worth $217 million, the largest contract in Lithuanian sports history. He led the NBA in rebounding and recorded his 50th career triple-double in February 2024. He also tied Michael Jordan for 19th place on the all-time triple-doubles list and posted 61 consecutive double-doubles, tying Kevin Love for the longest streak since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger.
On June 14, 2024, the Sacramento Kings announced that Domantas Sabonis would switch to the No. 11 jersey to honor his father, who wore the same number with the Portland Trail Blazers. In January 2025, he was named Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year for a fifth time. After missing time during the 2025-26 season due to a partially torn meniscus, he returned to action in January 2026 before undergoing season-ending surgery in February.
Driving Style and Strengths
Domantas Sabonis is widely regarded as one of the most skilled passing big men in the NBA. He combines excellent court vision with strong rebounding instincts and a high basketball IQ. His left-handed touch around the rim, footwork in the post, and ability to find open teammates make him a unique offensive hub, while his physicality allows him to compete with the league’s toughest interior players.
Notable Events and Milestones
Domantas Sabonis made history on May 1, 2021, when he became the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double by halftime, finishing with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 14 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He later became the first player in Kings history since Oscar Robertson in 1965 to record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a single game. In November 2024, he became the first player in NBA history to post a triple-double without a missed field goal, a turnover, or a foul.
Domantas Sabonis Career Wins
Domantas Sabonis has accumulated an impressive collection of individual awards and franchise records throughout his professional career. He has been selected to three NBA All-Star Games, two All-NBA Third Teams, and has led the league in rebounding three times. He has also won five Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year awards, establishing himself as one of the most decorated Lithuanian players of his generation.
NBA Highlights
Domantas Sabonis recorded his first career triple-double on January 21, 2020, and has since surpassed 59 career triple-doubles by the end of the 2024-25 season. He tied Larry Bird for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time triple-doubles list in October 2024. He also won the NBA Skills Challenge in 2021, finishing ahead of Nikola Vučević in the final.
International and College Performances
Domantas Sabonis helped Lithuania win a silver medal at EuroBasket 2015 in his debut year with the senior national team. He set a tournament rebounds record at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship with 28 rebounds against Ukraine and led the tournament with 13.2 rebounds per game. At Gonzaga, his No. 11 jersey was retired by the program in honor of his career.
Domantas Sabonis Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Domantas Sabonis comes from one of the most famous basketball families in history. His father, Arvydas Sabonis, is a Hall of Fame center who played for the Portland Trail Blazers and is considered one of the greatest international players ever. His mother, Ingrida Mikelionytė, was crowned Miss Lithuania in 1988. Domantas Sabonis grew up watching his father play and has often spoken about the influence Arvydas had on his career.
Personal Life
Domantas Sabonis married Shashana Rosen on August 15, 2021, in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France. The couple has three children: a son named Tiger, born in March 2022, a daughter named Eleven Rose, born in July 2023, and a son named Tauras Levi, born in June 2025. The family keeps Shabbat and eats only kosher food, and Sabonis was reported in 2023 to be in the process of converting to Judaism. In November 2024, he and his wife launched a wine brand called Ones by Sabonis.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year was significant for Domantas Sabonis both on and off the court. On January 7, 2025, he was named Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year for a fifth time, cementing his status as one of the top Lithuanian basketball players of his era. He posted a career-high 28 rebounds on January 10 against the Boston Celtics and tied that mark again on February 13 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Domantas Sabonis continued to deliver triple-doubles at a historic pace during the 2024-25 NBA season. On April 11, 2025, he became the sixth player since the ABA-NBA merger to record 60 or more double-doubles for three consecutive seasons, joining Moses Malone, John Stockton, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Dwight Howard. His combination of rebounding, passing, and scoring remained central to the Sacramento Kings’ offensive identity.
The 2025-26 NBA season proved more challenging, as Domantas Sabonis missed the season opener due to injury and later suffered a partially torn meniscus on November 19, 2025. After missing several weeks of action, he returned on January 16, 2026, before ultimately undergoing season-ending surgery on February 18, 2026. Despite the setback, his long-term contract with the Kings keeps him in Sacramento through 2028, where he remains a foundational piece of the franchise.
