History of Domantas Sabonis in Timeline

Domantas Sabonis is a Lithuanian-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. The son of basketball Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas has carved out a successful career of his own. He's a two-time All-NBA Team selection, a three-time NBA All-Star, and has twice led the NBA in rebounding. He also represents the Lithuanian national team in international competitions.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1965: Last Kings Player to Achieve 15/15/15

In 1965, Oscar Robertson was the last Kings player before Domantas Sabonis to record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game.

1976: Merger between the NBA and ABA

Domantas Sabonis surpassed Kevin Love for the longest streak of consecutive double-doubles since the 1976-77 merger between the NBA and ABA.

1988: Mother's Miss Lithuania Title

In 1988, Domantas Sabonis' mother, Ingrida Mikelionytė, was crowned the first Miss Lithuania.

1991: Birth of Brother Žygis

In 1991, Žygis, the older brother of Domantas Sabonis, was born.

1992: Birth of Brother Tautvydas

In 1992, Tautvydas, the older brother of Domantas Sabonis, was born.

May 3, 1996: Domantas Sabonis' Birth

On May 3, 1996, Domantas Sabonis was born in Lithuania. He is the son of Hall of Fame player Arvydas Sabonis and is now a professional basketball player in the NBA.

Others born on this day/year

1997: Birth of Sister Aušrinė

In 1997, Aušrinė, the younger sister of Domantas Sabonis, was born.

2004: Family Moved to Málaga, Spain

In 2004, Domantas Sabonis' family moved from Portland to Málaga, Spain, following his father's retirement from basketball.

2008: Previous Lithuanian NBA Scoring Record

In 2008, Linas Kleiza held the record for the highest NBA scoring performance by a Lithuanian, prior to Domantas Sabonis surpassing it.

2009: Previous Double-Double Record

In 2009, Troy Murphy last held the Pacers record for the most consecutive double-doubles, before Domantas Sabonis broke the record in 2019.

September 5, 2012: Unicaja Málaga Debut

On September 5, 2012, Domantas Sabonis, at just 16 years old, debuted for Unicaja Málaga against Cibona Zagreb.

2012: International Debut with Lithuania U-16

In 2012, Domantas Sabonis made his international debut with the Lithuania U-16 national team at the 2012 FIBA U-16 European Championship, averaging 14.1 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

October 13, 2013: Liga ACB Debut

On October 13, 2013, Domantas Sabonis debuted in the Liga ACB, becoming the youngest Unicaja player to debut in the ACB at 17 years, 5 months, and 10 days old.

2013: Played for Lithuania U-18 Team

In 2013, at 17 years of age, Domantas Sabonis played for the Lithuania U-18 team in 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He averaged 14 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and was tournament leader in rebounds per game.

February 2014: FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Nomination

In February 2014, Domantas Sabonis finished in the top 10 for the 2013 FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award voting.

November 14, 2014: Debut Scoring 14 Points

On November 14, 2014, Domantas Sabonis debuted for Gonzaga University, scoring 14 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists in 20 minutes.

2014: Included on Preliminary List for National Team and Played in FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship

In 2014, coach Jonas Kazlauskas included Domantas Sabonis on the preliminary list for the Lithuania men's national basketball team. In 2014, Domantas Sabonis played in the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship for the second time. This time he averaged 15.9 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

January 2015: FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Nomination

In January 2015, Domantas Sabonis finished in the top 5 for the 2014 FIBA Europe Young Men's Player of the Year Award voting.

February 3, 2015: Named West Coast Conference Player of the Week

On February 3, 2015, Domantas Sabonis was named West Coast Conference Player of the Week after averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per 26 minutes.

July 9, 2015: Invited to Lithuania National Team Training Camp

On July 9, 2015, Domantas Sabonis was invited to join the Lithuania men's national team training camp for the first time.

July 29, 2015: Debut for Lithuania Men's National Team

On July 29, 2015, Domantas Sabonis debuted for the Lithuania men's national team in a game against Australia, scoring 4 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Sabonis was the youngest player ever to play for the national team.

August 13, 2015: ESPN NCAA Players Ranking

On August 13, 2015, ESPN ranked Domantas Sabonis 20th in its NCAA players rankings heading for the 2015–16 season, highlighting his rebounding skills.

2015: Return to Gonzaga

In April 2015, Domantas Sabonis decided to return for his sophomore season at Gonzaga University, foregoing the 2015 NBA draft.

January 2, 2016: Near Career-High Performance Against San Francisco Dons

On January 2, 2016, Domantas Sabonis scored 35 points, just one point shy of his career record, along with 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks in a victory against the San Francisco Dons.

April 2016: Declares for the NBA Draft

In April 2016, Domantas Sabonis declared himself eligible for the 2016 NBA draft and hired an agent, ending his college career at Gonzaga University.

August 12, 2016: Signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder

On August 12, 2016, Domantas Sabonis signed his rookie scale contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2016: Last Kings All-Stars Before Sabonis and Fox

In 2016, DeMarcus Cousins was the last Kings player before Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox to be named an All-Star.

2016: Played in the Summer Olympics

In 2016, Domantas Sabonis played for Lithuania at the Summer Olympics, where he averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds.

2016: Drafted by Orlando Magic, traded to Oklahoma City Thunder

In 2016, Domantas Sabonis was drafted 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA draft but was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the same night.

January 25, 2017: Selected for Rising Stars Challenge

On January 25, 2017, Domantas Sabonis was named to the World Team for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge.

July 6, 2017: Traded to Indiana Pacers

On July 6, 2017, Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Indiana Pacers.

2017: Traded to Indiana Pacers

In 2017, Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Indiana Pacers.

January 3, 2018: Career-High Points Against Bucks

On January 3, 2018, Domantas Sabonis scored a then career-high 24 points in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

September 26, 2018: Pacers Picked Up Sabonis' Option

On September 26, 2018, the Indiana Pacers picked up the team option on Domantas Sabonis' contract.

December 2018: Lithuanian Player of the Year

In December 2018, Domantas Sabonis was chosen as the Lithuanian Player of the Year by the Lithuanian Basketball Federation.

March 19, 2019: Tied Career-High in Rebounds

On March 19, 2019, Domantas Sabonis tied his then career-high with 16 rebounds in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

October 21, 2019: Contract Extension with Pacers

On October 21, 2019, Domantas Sabonis signed a four-year, $77 million contract extension with the Indiana Pacers.

December 15, 2019: Consecutive Double-Double Record

On December 15, 2019, Domantas Sabonis achieved his 12th consecutive double-double, surpassing Troy Murphy's record since 2009 for the most consecutive double-doubles for the Pacers.

December 2019: Lithuanian Player of the Year Award

In December 2019, Domantas Sabonis was chosen as the Lithuanian Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

January 21, 2020: First Lithuanian to Record Triple-Double

On January 21, 2020, Domantas Sabonis became the first Lithuanian in NBA history to record a triple-double with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win against the Denver Nuggets.

November 2020: Lithuanian Player of the Year

In November 2020, Domantas Sabonis was chosen as the Lithuanian Player of the Year for a third consecutive year.

December 23, 2020: New Career-High of 32 Points

On December 23, 2020, Domantas Sabonis started the 2020–21 season with a new career-high of 32 points, along with 13 rebounds, five assists, and one steal, and led his team to a 121–107 victory versus the New York Knicks.

December 27, 2020: Game-Winning Layup

On December 27, 2020, Domantas Sabonis put up 19 points and 10 rebounds, alongside a game-winning layup, in a 108–107 win over the Boston Celtics.

January 9, 2021: New Rebounding Record

On January 9, 2021, Domantas Sabonis achieved his new rebounding record by having a double-double of 28 points, 22 rebounds, and 4 assists, becoming the first player of the Pacers to have a double-double of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in 3 quarters. However, his team lost 125–117 to the Phoenix Suns.

January 22, 2021: Career's New Record of Steals

On January 22, 2021, Domantas Sabonis set his career's new record of steals by having five of them, along with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, his team won 120–118 in OT versus the Orlando Magic after he made a last shot to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

February 3, 2021: Improved Scoring Record

On February 3, 2021, Domantas Sabonis improved his scoring record by having 33 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in just 3 quarters; however, his team lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 110–130.

February 17, 2021: Improved Scoring Record and Triple-Double

On February 17, 2021, Domantas Sabonis once again improved his scoring record by having a triple-double of 36 points, 17 rebounds, and ten assists, leading his team to a 134–128 victory versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player of the Pacers to have at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single NBA game.

August 15, 2021: Married Shashana Rosen

On August 15, 2021, Domantas Sabonis married Shashana Rosen in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France; the wedding was officiated by a rabbi.

2021: Named an All-Star and Skills Challenge Winner

In 2021, Domantas Sabonis was named an All-Star as an injury replacement to Kevin Durant. At the 2021 All-Star Game, Sabonis beat Nikola Vučević to win the Skills Challenge.

January 5, 2022: Fifteenth Career Triple-Double

On January 5, 2022, Domantas Sabonis logged his fifteenth career triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 129–121 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

February 8, 2022: Traded to the Sacramento Kings

On February 8, 2022, Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings along with Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson.

March 11, 2022: Birth of First Child

On March 11, 2022, Domantas Sabonis and his wife welcomed their first child, a son named Tiger.

2022: Traded to Sacramento Kings

In 2022, Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings.

January 13, 2023: Career-High 16 Assists

On January 13, 2023, Domantas Sabonis recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists in a 139–114 win over the Houston Rockets. Sabonis became the first player in Kings history to record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game since Oscar Robertson in 1965.

February 2, 2023: Named to Third NBA All-Star Team

On February 2, 2023, Domantas Sabonis was named to his third NBA All-Star team as a reserve for the Western Conference. He, along with De'Aaron Fox, became the first Kings players to be named All-Stars since DeMarcus Cousins in 2016.

April 2023: Conversion to Judaism

In April 2023, Domantas Sabonis' wife announced that he was in the process of converting to Judaism.

May 10, 2023: Named to All-NBA Third Team

On May 10, 2023, Domantas Sabonis was named to his first All-NBA team, making the third team with Kings teammate De'Aaron Fox. This is the first Sacramento-era season where multiple Kings players made the All-NBA team.

July 2, 2023: Signed Five-Year Contract Extension

On July 2, 2023, Domantas Sabonis and the Kings terminated the remaining one-season contract worth $19.4 million and signed a five-year contract extension worth $217 million. This is the most profitable contract in Lithuania's sport history.

2023: All-NBA Team Selection and Playoff Run

In 2023, Domantas Sabonis was selected to his first All-NBA team and third All-Star selection. He led the Sacramento Kings to the third seed in the 2023 NBA playoffs, breaking their 16-season playoff drought.

2023: Second-round pick

In 2023, Sabonis was traded along with Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick to the Sacramento Kings.

January 3, 2024: Season-High 23 Rebounds and Triple-Double

On January 3, 2024, Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double with 22 points, a then season-high 23 rebounds and 12 assists in a 138–135 double overtime win over the Orlando Magic.

January 29, 2024: Career-High 26 Rebounds

On January 29, 2024, Domantas Sabonis scored 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds and delivered 5 assists in a 103–94 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. He became the second player in NBA history with at least 20 points, 25 rebounds, five assists and a shooting percentage of 90% or better.

June 14, 2024: Switch to No. 11 Jersey

On June 14, 2024, the Sacramento Kings announced that Domantas Sabonis would switch to No. 11 jersey to honor his father, Arvydas Sabonis, who wore the same number during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sacramento Kings had previously retired No. 11 to honor Bob Davies. However, Davies' children gave their blessing for Sabonis to use the retired number.