Sabonis Season By Season

2000-01:
Averaged 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.02 blocks and 21.3 
minutes in 61 games, including 42 starts...Scored a season-high 32 
points on 11-12 shooting from the floor and 10-12 shooting from the 
free throw line in the Blazers at Golden State on April 6...Also had 
a career-high 6 blocks in the April 6 win over Golden State...Scored 
23 points against Chicago January 30 on 8-10 shooting from the field 
and 7-9 shooting from the free throw line in just 23 minutes...Scored 
23 points against the LA Clippers Mar. 1 on 10-17 shooting while 
grabbing 6 rebounds in 25 minutes...Had a season-high 11 rebounds at 
Charlotte January 11 and against the Clippers March 26...Grabbed his 
3,000th career rebound against the Golden State Warriors March 3...
Spent the first eight games of the season on the injured list 
recovering from Oct. 13 arthroscopic knee surgery to repair meniscus 
tear in his left knee...Missed four games with a sprained left knee

1999-2000:
Led the Blazers in rebounding with 7.8 rpg. Led team in rebounding 29 
times and recorded a team-best 17 double-doubles. Helped team to 
Western Conference Finals, averaging 11.3 ppg and 6.7 rpg in the 
playoffs. 

1998-99:
Ranked second on the Blazers in rebounds (7.9 rpg), blocked shots 
(1.26 bpg) and double-doubles (15). Led the Blazers in rebounding in 
17 games, and in scoring in 8 games. Set a career-high assists mark 
wtih nine versus Dallas on 2/15. 

1997-98:
Led the Blazers with 36 double-doubles. Ranked ninth in the league in 
rebounding (10.0 rpg). Led the team in scoring 18 times and in 
rebounding 44 times. Tallied the first 20-20 game of his career with 
21 points and 20 rebounds at Chicago on 2/25. 

1996-97:
Sabonis came back with another strong season in 1996-97, starting 68 
of 69 games, leading the Trail Blazers in rebounding at 7.9 rpg and 
shotblocking at 1.22 bpg. He also averaged 13.4 points and 0.91 
steals in 25.5 minutes per game, splitting time at center with Chris 
Dudley for the second year in a row. He missed 11 games after 
sustaining a deeply bruiled calf at Seattle on Jan. 22. Sabonis 
scored a career-high 33 points in 35 minutes, grabbing 12 rebounds, 
in a 110-104 victory at Dallas on Jan. 4. He hauled down a career-
high 17 rebounds in a 95-94 overtime victory at Minnesota on Nov. 7. 
In four playoff games against the Lakers, Sabonis averaged 11.3 
points and 6.5 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per game.

1995-96:
Sabonis had an outstanding season as the NBA's oldest rookie, 
averaging 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.07 blocked 
shots in only 23.8 minutes per game and ranking seventh in the NBA 
in field goal accuracy at .545. The Blazers, worried about the 
pounding his often-injured legs would take over the long NBA season, 
were careful to limit his playing time, especially in the first half 
of the season. But by midseason Sabonis had proven to all that he 
could more than hold his own against NBA competition and that he 
could withstand the rigors of the long season, so he was given more 
playing time and a greater role down the stretch. He was the key to 
Portland's surge to the playoffs, moving into the starting lineup and 
helping the team finish the season with an 18-3 run. As a starter he 
averaged 17.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per 
game, and he was the NBA's Player of the Week after helping the team 
to a 4-0 mark in the period ending March 31. Sabonis scored a season-
high 26 points at Atlanta on Feb. 28 and matched that figure one 
month later against Golden State, two of his 17 20-point games. He 
reached double figures in scoring in 58 of the 73 games he played, 
including 25 of his last 28, and led the team in scoring 11 times. 
He also was Portland's leading rebounder 23 times, with a high of 17 
against Sacramento on March 8, and posted 19 double-doubles. He was 
named the NBA Player of the Week on March 31 after averaging 20.3 
ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg and 2.0 apg as the Blazers went 4-0. And he was 
named Schick NBA Rookie of the Month for April, averaging 16.1 ppg 
and 11.0 rpg as the Blazers went 8-3. He maintained his late-season 
surge into the playoffs, where he averaged team highs of 23.6 points 
and 10.2 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game, starting all five of the 
Blazers' games against Utah. He set a team record by converting 16 of 
20 free throws in Game 1 and posted highs of 27 points in Game 3 and 
13 rebounds in Game 4. Sabonis ranked fifth among NBA rookies in 
scoring, second in rebounding and first in field goal percentage. He 
was chosen for the Schick Rookie Game during All-Star Weekend and had 
eight points and four rebounds in just four minutes of playing time, 
opting to rest his legs. Sabonis had an outstanding season as the 
NBA's oldest rookie, averaging 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists 
and 1.07 blocked shots in only 23.8 minutes per game and ranking 
seventh in the NBA in field goal accuracy at .545. The Blazers, 
worried about the pounding his often-injured legs would take over the 
long NBA season, were careful to limit his playing time, especially 
in the first half of the season. But by midseason Sabonis had proven 
to all that he could more than hold his own against NBA competition 
and that he could withstand the rigors of the long season, so he was 
given more playing time and a greater role down the stretch. He was 
the key to Portland's surge to the playoffs, moving into the starting 
lineup and helping the team finish the season with an 18-3 run. As a 
starter he averaged 17.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 
blocks per game, and he was the NBA's Player of the Week after 
helping the team to a 4-0 mark in the period ending March 31. Sabonis 
scored a season-high 26 points at Atlanta on Feb. 28 and matched that 
figure one month later against Golden State, two of his 17 20-point 
games. He reached double figures in scoring in 58 of the 73 games he 
played, including 25 of his last 28, and led the team in scoring 11 
times. He also was Portland's leading rebounder 23 times, with a high 
of 17 against Sacramento on March 8, and posted 19 double-doubles. He 
was named the NBA Player of the Week on March 31 after averaging 20.3 
ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg and 2.0 apg as the Blazers went 4-0. And he was 
named Schick NBA Rookie of the Month for April, averaging 16.1 ppg 
and 11.0 rpg as the Blazers went 8-3. He maintained his late-season 
surge into the playoffs, where he averaged team highs of 23.6 points 
and 10.2 rebounds in 35.4 minutes per game, starting all five of the 
Blazers' games against Utah. He set a team record by converting 16 of 
20 free throws in Game 1 and posted highs of 27 points in Game 3 and 
13 rebounds in Game 4. Sabonis ranked fifth among NBA rookies in 
scoring, second in rebounding and first in field goal percentage. He 
was chosen for the Schick Rookie Game during All-Star Weekend and had 
eight points and four rebounds in just four minutes of playing time,
opting to rest his legs.