Blazers go hard after Sabonis but old problems remain

He's big. He's bad. He's Lithuanian. He may join the Portland Trail 
Blazers, nine years after they drafted him.

Arvydas Sabonis and the Blazers have been in a love-hate 
relationship since they drafted him in 1986: They would love to sign 
him. He hates the thought of leaving the comforts of Europe for the 
rigorous life of the NBA.

After flirting with the Blazers for years, spending a summer in 
Portland working out and partying heartily, and getting hurt more 
often than anyone can remember, the 7-foot-3 center may finally be 
ready to come over. His contract with Real Madrid expires soon and 
there have been serious talks between his many agents and the 
Blazers.

"We've expressed our interest a number of times," said Bob Whitsitt, 
Portland's general manager. "We'd like him to play for us, and we've 
made that clear. It appears his contract is up. Whether he's looking 
at the NBA, going back to Spain, or looking into another European 
situation, we don't know."

Whitsitt went to Spain early this year and scouted Sabonis. He has 
followed Sabonis' European career from a distance and got reliable 
reports on him from George Karl, the suddenly expendable coach of 
the Seattle SuperSonics.

Karl coached Real Madrid when Sabonis played in Barcelona and had a 
chance to observe him up close.

Karl was gone from Real Madrid by the time Sabonis came to the 
European powerhouse, but the connection is there and so is the 
continuing fascination with a player who is bigger than anyone in 
the NBA except Gheorge Muresan and as talented as all but the best 
centers.

In Spain, where rumors ripen and fall in the sun, Sabonis is s
upposed to sign with the Blazers as soon as Real Madrid finishes its 
Spanish league playoff series against Barcelona. One false lead had 
Portland making him an offer and trying to get him on the playoff 
roster. Another has Real

Madrid ready to offer $5 million a year to keep him and looking for 
extra sponsors to help with the money.

The truth is the Blazers can't sign Sabonis until the "no strike-no 
lockout" agreement between the NBA and the players' union expires 
and new rules, temporary or permanent, are put in place. If the old 
system remains in place, at least until a new collective bargaining 
agreement is reached, the Blazers will have a $2.6 million salary 
slot available July 1.

That slot would come open if the Blazers do not re-sign Terry Porter, 
something they insist they haven't made up their minds about. They 
would have to convince Sabonis to sign for that amount and give him 
either a 30 percent raise each year, an opt-out clause, or both.

Sabonis recently was named the European player of the year. He was 
the most valuable player in the European championships and has been 
putting up impressive numbers all season. He has limited mobility 
because of two torn hamstrings and a broken foot that never was 
surgically repaired, but has been the dominant player in Europe 
since Toni Kukoc went to Chicago.

Listen to Whitsitt, normally careful and reserved in his player 
evaluations, 

describe Sabonis:

"His game has been pretty consistent. He's not going to win any 
baseline-to-baseline contests and he's limited in his lateral 
movement, but in a half-court game he's very effective. He's not a 
jumper, but he's so huge that defensively he stands and puts his 
arms up and disrupts a lot of shots. "Offensively, he's got a great 
touch and range out to the 3-point line. He's more comfortable in 
the high post and when he posts up he may not have the drop-step, 
but he has a lot of hooks and a finger-roll. He's an excellent 
passer, as good a passing center as you'll ever see, and he really
knows how to play the game."

There are no shortage of myths and legends surrounding Sabonis, a 
larger-than-life figure who reportedly enjoys teasing the media. 
It has been said for years that he does not not like to practice, 
does not like to play more than two games per week, and thinks the 
intense, serious approach to basketball common in the NBA is silly.

Sabonis has been known to enjoy a drink after games. There is a 
longstanding story he tore an Achilles tendon when he fell down a 
staircase after a party, a story he did not deny when asked about it 
during his wild 1988 summer in Portland.

At that time, U.S. Olympic coach John Thompson accused the Blazers 
of helping Sabonis get back in shape so he could help the Soviet 
Union win the gold medal in basketball. Sabonis did play for a 
Soviet team that beat the Americans in the semifinals and went on to 
defeat Yugoslavia in the final.

Sabonis has a wife and daughter who reportedly have had a calming 
influence on him. His wife apparently did not want to leave Europe 
in the past and it is not clear how she would feel about a move to 
the United States now.

Sabonis left Portland telling friends he thought it was a provincial 
town, a bit of a backwater for a European sophisticate like himself.

It is a fact his physical problems, particularly with his foot, 
would prevent him from playing more than half an NBA game. The 
Blazers think half a scoring center is better than none at all and 
are making every effort to sign Sabonis. 

One more sad fact: Portland signed two other European stars who once 
played for Real Madrid, Fernando Martin and Drazen Petrovic. Both 
died in car accidents in Europe.