Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania and Soviet Union)
No, kids, we not talking about Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers, a delightful player on his own. This is his father Arvydas, one of the most legendary international basketball players of all time. We unfortunately never really got to see peak Sabonis because the Soviet Union would not allow him to leave for the NBA, so he was in his 30s with a broken down body before he ever made it stateside.
Still, Sabonis was a legend, the greatest passing big man ever with a pretty shot and stout defense, even if his body only ever allowed him to play around 25 minutes a game. Sabonis won triple gold medals for the Soviet Union at the 1982 FIBA World Cup, the 1985 FIBA EuroBasket, and the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.
That final Olympic medal was what finally pushed the Americans to send their pros too, so you might even call Sabonis responsible for the formation of the Dream Team.
