Domantas Sabonis

Dominant and versatile Lithuanian big man whose rebounding, passing and scoring make him one of the most complete centers in the NBA.

Domantas Sabonis was born on 3 May 1996 in Portland, Oregon, while his father, Arvydas Sabonis, a Lithuanian Hall of Famer and one of the greatest European players in basketball history, was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. His mother, Ingrida Mikelionytė, was the first-ever Miss Lithuania in 1988. Despite the family's basketball legacy, neither parent pressured Domantas or his two older brothers into the sport. The family moved to Málaga, Spain, in 2004 following Arvydas's retirement, and Domantas made his professional debut for Unicaja Málaga at just 16, becoming the youngest player ever to debut for the club in Spain's top league before moving to the United States to play two seasons at Gonzaga University. The Orlando Magic selected Sabonis 11th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft — the same number his father wore throughout his career — before immediately trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was later traded to the Indiana Pacers as part of the deal that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City, developing into one of the league's most versatile passing big men. Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2022, helping end the franchise's NBA-record 16-season playoff drought and earning multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections. He named his son Tiger and has continued to honour his father's legacy, wearing the number 11 throughout his career while building his own distinguished legacy as one of the league's premier offensive-minded centres.

Versatile center with exceptional court vision and rebounding

Modern big man who revolutionized center position with passing

• NBA Rebounding Champion 2023