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The annual celebration of the NBA All-Star Game will shake on Sunday, but it won’t be what all basketball fans are used to seeing.
The event, which will take place at the Atlanta State Farm Arena, will be packed with fans, far fewer participants, and stringent requirements for the coronavirus.
“I flew on Saturday, but I haven’t seen anything from my team yet. And of the others ”, – laughed a few hours before the“ Star Day Event ”of 211 cm high D. Sabonis.
For the second time in a row, one of the three Lithuanians will fight in the prestigious NBA event and will again compete in the All-Star match and Skills competition.
Getting into the top 24 players in the NBA is an achievement whose value is understood by anyone who dreams of becoming a basketball player.
For Lithuanians, the door to this elite party is rarely opened. Apart from D. Sabonis, only Žydrūnas Ilgauskas was admitted to the chosen club, but it was a long time ago, in 2003 and 2005.
Arvydas Sabonis, the father of D. Sabonis, was never chosen from the All Stars match participants. Only until the rookie game in 1996, when he was the 31-year-old top rookie on the field.
He told his son so much about that night in San Antonio that his goal in the game was “sabonic”: to play as little as possible.
Domantas laughed remembering the story of this father. When he entered the rookie game of the NBA debut season himself in 2017, he wanted to be on the field as much as possible. But you don’t want to steal from him this year.
Because in the tough season, the Dome is one of the Indiana Pacers’ major blacksmith victories.
Spend an average of 36.4 minutes in the square. His point average, 21.2, is the best in a five-year NBA career.
Lietuvis bounces 11.3 balls this season, giving 5.9 assists.
“Everybody asks about the goals, but they are very simple: it is better to spend time in the square. You don’t necessarily want to prove anything,” said D. Sabonis while in Atlanta.
– Can we expect the Dome to carry the basket through the rival stars in the match? Mr. Sabonis was asked.
– We’ll see what happens to those inserts. We will see if there are opportunities, but I am really prepared, if I am successful, to put the ball in the basket as well as possible.
– You will participate in the “Skills” contest. Were you preparing for him?
– I wasn’t ready for anything (laughs). I’ll just go and compete.
– What does it mean to you to participate in the All-Star game?
– It is a great honor, especially to know that I am from a small country: Lithuania. There are not many people in our country, and playing among the best basketball players in the NBA is not only an aspiration, but also a great example for the younger generation. I show that by playing basketball correctly, great goals can be achieved.
I am very happy that Lithuania is proud that one of the three Lithuanians fighting in the NBA has been invited to Star Day.
– Have you had the opportunity to meet other friends on your team?
– No. And the coronavirus regulation does not allow that to be done.
– You played in Kobe Bryant’s shoes last year. How are you going to go to the square this time?
– Yes, my colleagues have already tried to order me shoes for this event (laughs). But I don’t know what the shoes will be like.
I’ll come to the arena and see it. Like other friends on my team, we will only learn about footwear in the sand.
– Another player from the Pacers team, young Cassius Stanley, will compete in the “Air King” competition. Will you help him in the contest?
– He didn’t ask anyway (laughs). But if I need it, of course I will help you.
– During the first All-Star event, you warmed up your feet more. Do you have a secret goal for yourself in the second NBA celebration?
– I think nothing will change this time either – I will just want to warm my feet again in such an event. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this holiday will be completely different.
Starting with the fact that we are sitting in a hotel room and we cannot get anywhere. We will be admitted to the room only half an hour before the event, it is offered to communicate as little as possible, to meet as little as possible. And the highlight will be the game, but 48 minutes and all. It will be a very long day …
– Did you talk about the game with LeBron James or other basketball players?
– Like I said, there is no chance of meeting. All players have their time to train, walk, so communication is removed from our agenda. I’ll see everyone in the locker room for the first time.
