UcanUwill wrote:No, I agree with you, I didn't meant to say that you claim he had no skill, but I have meant that there were people in the past who said he was very raw early on, using your basic narattive, but using it badly, implying like he learned the game only after injuries and that Portland Sabas was his prime. While that is debatable, I think 20 year old Sabonis trully was his best form, and it is a shame he was not durable, because yes, he probably would have ultimately peaked as 27-29 year old veteran, like most players. Altho he rebounded his career well and maintained high level, all passed 1987 was kind off on damage control. Good player, greater legend and what if story. Not only that he debuted in the NBA while already in his 30s, but also because he never had a chance to reach his prime.
Sabonis' peak was in the mid to late 90s. He peaked in his last season with Real Madrid, and in his first few NBA seasons. He was a much better player then than he was in his early 20s. His early 20s was his athletic peak, but it most definitely was not his basketball peak.
Duke4life831 wrote:KrAzY3 wrote:Arvydas Sabonis is basically a mythical figure at this point. Due to injuries it's hard to tell how could he really could have been, so he's in that Len Bias category somewhat in terms of he's as good as you want to think he could be.
But the reality it what he did on the court was nowhere near the level of the greatest big men of all time, so it's all hypothetical.
Haha yup. Over the years on here of having this discussion. I think I may have watched every video available online to watch of Sabonis by now. Because I kept hearing of this mythical beast.
7’3, but more athletic than prime David Robinson, stronger than prime Shaq, better defender than Hakeem. Then on offense he was a better passer and more skilled than Jokic, to go with the physical dominance of Shaq.
Yet I’ve yet to see a single video of this mythical beast. Don’t get me wrong, the videos of younger Sabonis are impressive, but I’ve yet to see this mythical beast who is arguably the greatest at every aspect of being a 5.
The greatest mythological Paul Bunion players in world basketball history:
Among "international" players:
Arvydas Sabonis (might as well just call him Euro Wilt - probably Sabonis killed a Russian bear in the woods with his bare hands or something)
Oscar Schmidt
Nick Galis
Drazen Petrovic
Those international players above were all very great players, but some of the myths and legends about them are absolutely ridiculous. There is a hyperbole to an extreme for some reason with the myths and legends of those players. They have all been made out to be many, many times greater and better than they actually were by all of these ridiculously stupid and completely factually wrong myths.