Last Updated on May 28, 2025 by Mat Diekhake
Arvydas Sabonis did not play college basketball in the United States. Instead, he developed his skills in the Soviet Union, playing professionally for Žalgiris Kaunas and later for teams in Spain, such as Real Madrid, before joining the NBA.
While detailed per-season statistics from his early European career are limited, here is a summary of his performance during his time in Spain’s Liga ACB:
| Season | Team | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989–90 | Valladolid | 35 | 33.3 | 25.2 | 14.5 | 2.0 | .505 | .409 | .705 |
| 1990–91 | Valladolid | 32 | 31.4 | 21.2 | 12.1 | 2.2 | .515 | .292 | .708 |
| 1991–92 | Valladolid | 32 | 32.3 | 24.3 | 14.8 | 2.6 | .538 | .412 | .751 |
| 1992–93 | Real Madrid | 30 | 31.9 | 19.4 | 13.0 | 1.4 | .562 | .488 | .737 |
| 1993–94 | Real Madrid | 27 | 31.7 | 20.1 | 12.7 | 2.3 | .624 | .417 | .802 |
| 1994–95 | Real Madrid | 34 | 34.9 | 23.6 | 13.6 | 2.5 | .587 | .338 | .781 |
These statistics highlight Sabonis’s dominance in European basketball prior to his NBA career.