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Tautvydas Sabonis

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Tautvydas Sabonis
Sabonis coaching the London Lions in 2025
London Lions
TitleHead coach
LeagueEuroCup, Super League Basketball
Personal information
Born (1992-05-01) May 1, 1992 (age 34)
Valladolid, Spain
NationalityLithuanian
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2014: undrafted
Playing career2010–2019
PositionSmall forward / power forward
Number11, 22
Coaching career2019–present
Career history
Playing
2010–2015Clinicas Rincón Malaga
2015–2016Palma Air Europe Mallorca
2016–2017Leyma Coruña
2017–2019TAU Castelló
Coaching
2019–2020Žalgiris-2 Kaunas (assistant)
2020–2025Žalgiris Kaunas (assistant)
2025–presentLondon Lions
Career highlights
As assistant coach:

As head coach:

Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Lithuania
FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2012 Slovenia U-20 Team
FIBA World Under-19 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2011 Latvia U-19 Team
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2010 Lithuania U-18 Team
FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2008 Italy U-16 Team

Tautvydas Sabonis (born May 1, 1992) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the London Lions of the British Super League Basketball (SLB). As a player Sabonis has represented the Lithuania men's youth national basketball teams and won four gold medals. During his professional playing career he played at the small forward and power forward positions. He is a son of the Hall of Fame player Arvydas Sabonis and brother of a three times NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis.

Early life

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Sabonis was born on May 1, 1992 in Valladolid, Spain when his father Arvydas Sabonis had played for the local basketball club CB Valladolid.[1] He is Arvydas Sabonis second son, Žygimantas is his older brother and Domantas is his younger brother, he also has a younger sister Aušrinė.[2][3]

Playing career

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During his career in European professional basketball clubs Sabonis mostly played for the Spanish second-tier basketball league teams Clinicas Rincón Malaga (2010–2015), Palma Air Europe Mallorca (2015–2016), Leyma Coruña (2016–2017), and TAU Castelló (2017–2019), except for the 2012–13 season when his team Clinicas Rincón Malaga played in the Spanish third-tier basketball league.[1][4][5] At 27 years old he retired from professional basketball as a player.[6]

Coaching career

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Žalgiris-2 Kaunas and Žalgiris Kaunas (2019–2025)

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Following his retirement from professional basketball as a player, Sabonis in 2019 joined the Žalgiris-2 Kaunas as an assistant coach of Arvydas Gronskis.[6] In 2020, he became an assistant coach of the primary Žalgiris Kaunas team and with it he won five King Mindaugas Cup titles and three Lithuanian Basketball League titles.[7]

London Lions (2025–present)

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In July 2025, Sabonis became a head coach for the London Lions of the top-tier British basketball league Super League Basketball and second-tier European basketball league EuroCup.[7] During his debut season as a head coach the Lions in the EuroCup finished the regular season in a 8th place of Group B by winning five games out of 13 and failed to qualify for the 2026 EuroCup playoffs.[8] Nevertheless, in the local British competitions the Lions achieved much more success as they in February 2026 won the Super League Basketball Cup,[9] in March 2026 won the British Championship Basketball Cup,[10] later won the 2025–26 Super League Basketball regular season with a 26–6 record and Sabonis was recognized as the Super League Coach of the Year.[11][12][13][14]

National team career

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Sabonis had played for the Lithuania men's national under-16 team in the 2008 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, Lithuania men's national under-18 basketball team in the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, Lithuania men's national under-19 basketball team in the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, Lithuania men's national under-20 basketball team in the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, and during each of these four tournaments he had won gold medals being a reserve player averaging 2.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists per game.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tautvydas Sabonis basketball profile". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  2. ^ Holmes, Baxter (December 12, 2024). "NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis, his legendary father Arvydas -- and the enormous weight of legacy". ESPN. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  3. ^ Urbonas, Donatas (November 11, 2019). "Nepriklausomybės vaiko pavyzdys: D.Sabonio fenomenas prasidėjo Sabonių namuose". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  4. ^ "Tautvydas Sabonis Player Profile". RealGM. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  5. ^ "Tautvydas Sabonis". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Vos 27-erių sulaukęs T.Sabonis paskelbė apie karjeros pabaigą ir prisijungė „Žalgirio" dublerių trenerių štabo". Krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). August 9, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Su „Žalgiriu" atsisveikinantis Sabonis: daug metų čia praleista, pasiilgsiu visų žmonių". Lithuanian National Radio and Television (in Lithuanian). July 21, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  8. ^ "London Lions Games". EuroCup Basketball. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  9. ^ "Pirmasis titulas: Sabonis su „Lions" iškovojo lygos taurę". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  10. ^ "Sabonis su „Lions" iškovojo antrąjį titulą". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  11. ^ "Sabonio treniruojamas „Lions" – reguliaraus sezono nugalėtojas". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  12. ^ "London's Tautvydas Sabonis secures Molten Ed Percival Coach of the Year crown in debut season as Head Coach". Super League Basketball. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  13. ^ "Tautvydas Sabonis Didžiojoje Britanijoje pripažintas geriausiu metų treneriu". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  14. ^ "London Lions". Instagram. May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  15. ^ "Tautvydas Sabonis". FIBA. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
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