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Fratello, 73, is one of the Clippers game analysts in Los Angeles, and he found time to recall his memories of Saboni during a non-intrigued game with the Indiana Pacers: The California team crushed their guests.
Fratello himself was the NBA’s head coach from 1983 to 2006, during which time he managed the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies.
It was while working at the Hawks Club that the talented A. Sabonis got distracted.
“It was 1985, Arvydas Sabonis was playing in the then Soviet Union (Kaunas” Žalgiris “, – ed. Past). I trained for the Hawks and we had a scout who, on his return from the Soviet Union, told me that he saw the best tall man that he had ever seen.
Since we had a fourth round call on the rookie trade that year, I suggested, why not pick that guy from the Soviet Union? So, we did it, we called him in the fourth round and we got the rights to A. Sabonis, which was incredible at the time, ”said M. Fratello during the live broadcast of the match.
However, with the 77th call, A. Sabonis did not want to go to the NBA.
“So I didn’t want to come to the NBA. He felt comfortable enough where he played, winning enough. And at the time, the rule was that if a player refuses to come to the NBA, you lose your rights to him after the season and he can be invited back to the rookie trade, ”Fratello explained.
“So when we called him in, we got the attention of other clubs, and next season the Blazers used their first-round call for A. Sabonis. It’s true that Arvydas also came to the Blazers only after a long break, after suffering. serious injuries. However, even then he was a great basketball player, “said Fratello, who was voted the best coach of the NBA season in 1986.
“One of the highest passes of all time,” added his colleague Brian Sieman.
Mike Fratello tells a fascinating story about Arvydas Sabonis. pic.twitter.com/RRuORwHwRY
– Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) January 18, 2021
To clarify M. Fratello’s statements a bit, it should be noted that the Hawks lost their rights to A. Sabonis because the Lithuanian was not yet 21 at the time of the newcomer exchange. This NBA rookie trade rule was later repealed.
The Blazers invited A. Sabonis to the 1986 rookie trade with the 24th call-up, but the Lithuanian moved to the NBA only in 1995.
He spent 7 seasons in the league, averaging 12 points per game and rebounding 7.3 balls.
The best statistics were recorded by A. Sabonis in 1997-1998. season, with an average of 16 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game.
It should be noted that the first Hawks club was named A. Sabonis in the penultimate century. maintained good relations with the sports directorate of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.
The then owner of the Hawks, Ted Turner, was one of the initiators of the organization of the Goodwill Games, a group of players, among them Šarūnas Marčiulionis, traveled to the United States in 1987 to train with the Hawks. In the Union, one of the games was played in Vilnius.
Ukrainian Alexander Volkov went to the NBA in 1989 to represent the Hawks. The Atlanta club also targeted Š. Marčiulionis, but the latter joined the Golden State Warriors team.
M. Fratello himself 2011-2014. he has coached the Ukraine national team.
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