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Arvydas Sabonis will not run for president of Lithuania in the upcoming 2014 election. Sport Express

Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania 

Ryan Wolstat: Odd, Sabonis presented Valanciunas with the Lithuanian baller of the year award well before most people in the building Twitter @WolstatSun

Toronto Raptors, Arvydas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas 

Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap delivered high praise for Marc Gasol as the league’s best passing big man. Dunlap compared Gasol to former Portland Trail Blazers great Arvydas Sabonis. “He holds that ball like it’s an olive and he can send that ball anywhere he wants,” Dunlap said. Gasol had seven assists and is averaging 4.6 per game. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, Marc Gasol, Arvydas Sabonis, Mike Dunlap 

Arvydas Sabonis‘ last season in the NBA was in 2003, after taking a year off from the NBA to play in Europe. During his career he became one of the game’s consummate big men, and even won a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics while competing on behalf of the Soviet Union. Last year, the former Trail Blazer suffered a heart attack playing basketball and was advised by doctors not to engage in such rigorous activity — by the looks of things, Sabonis may have let himself go a bit in his post-playing days. As if doctors could stop him. Last week Sabonis suited up for his hometown Lithuanian team Žalgiris Kaunas as part of a legends game in which they took on a club from Moscow. There are any numbers of reasons that the below highlights are hilarious, among them are Sabonis’ size advantage and apparent lack of conviction on defense. NESN.com

Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania, Zalgiris Kaunas 

There was one — and only one — Dream Team. So that is the American view. But not everyone is American. As all knowledgable American basketball fans know, Lithuania is the country that has competed at a high level most consistently over the past six Olympics. Lithuania produced Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciulionis, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Linas Kleiza, Jonas Valenciunas, and Egle, among others. And now a film has been made about the 1992 Lithuanian national team, entitled “The Other Dream Team.” SheridanHoops

Linas Kleiza, Arvydas Sabonis, Olympics, Lithuania, Sarunas Jasikevicius 

But the American Dream Team may not have been the best story from that Olympic basketball tournament in Barcelona. A new documentary — “The Other Dream Team” — looks back at the 1992 Lithuanian team — a country that had just split off from Russia, a country that had no money to help its basketball program until the Greatfull Dead stepped in with money and tie-dye shirts. A country that had some good players still in Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis. A country that had to play Russia during the Olympics in maybe the most meaningful game in Barcelona. NBCSports.com

FIBA, Arvydas Sabonis, Olympics, Lithuania 

At the age of 47, Arvydas Sabonis is still going strong and once again practising with the Lithuanian national team in the training camp in Houston. The President of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) dropped his suit and tie, jumped into a pair of running shoes and joined the team for an actual practice. lithuaniabasketball.com

Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania 

Just days ago, Sabonis was trying out his aim with a machine gun in a meeting with the Minister of Defence to announce co-operation lithuaniabasketball.com

Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania 

Cesar Nanclares: Arvydas Sabonis, new president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation http://www.tubasket.com/ Twitter

Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania 

Emiliano Carchia: Now it is official, Arvydas Sabonis has been released by the hospital and is returning home Twitter

Arvydas Sabonis 

Sabonis: ''Doctors told me: no smoking, no drinking, no basketball. Only sex is left'' Twitter

Arvydas Sabonis 

Doctors in Lithuania say basketball Hall-of-Famer Arvydas Sabonis is in intensive care after suffering a heart attack. Doctors in Sabonis’ home town of Kaunas said Wednesday that the former NBA player’s condition is stable and not life-threatening. The 46-year-old Sabonis was rushed to the hospital Tuesday night after going into cardiac arrest while playing basketball. Washington Post

Arvydas Sabonis 

Pau Gasol: I'm happy to read that Sabonis is out of danger, great news for all of us. I wish him a quick recovery. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Arvydas Sabonis 

Marc J. Spears: Blazers confirm HOFer Arvydas Sabonis suffered a heart attack in his native Lithuania. His condition is believed to be non-life threatening. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Arvydas Sabonis 

Lithuanian news site Delfi.lt reports that former Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis suffered a heart attack while playing basketball Tuesday night. Spanish website CadenaSer.com reported soon after that Sabonis did suffer a heart attack but quoted Arturo Ortega, a representative for Sabonis, who said the center was "out of danger." Lrytas.LT reports that Sabonis has "stabilized." LTBasket.com reports that Sabonis' life is not in danger but that he "will still spend the night in [the] hospital." Blazers Edge

Arvydas Sabonis 

Andrea Centenari: Sabonis said at a spanish tv that his favourite for this #Eurobasket is Spain and Valanciunas represents the future of lithuanian baskeball Twitter

Toronto Raptors, FIBA, Spain, Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania, Jonas Valanciunas, Eurobasket 

I ran into Arvydas Sabonis tonight, and congratulated him on nearly breaking Jim O’Connell’s record for the shortest Hall of Fame induction speech ever. He liked that. I also noticed that he was wearing a business suit, no socks, and low-cut blue Chuck Taylors. SheridanHoops

Arvydas Sabonis 

Thousands were on hand Thursday afternoon to celebrate one of Oregon’s most beloved professional sports heroes. Sabonis played for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1995-2000 and again from 2001-2002 as a member of one of the winningest eras in the Pinwheels’ history. Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland was jam-packed full of fans, young and old, who came to pay their respects to Sabonis. The 7-3 center was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last week, and at the rally the big Lithuanian made his first appearance in Oregon in over eight years. Dime

Portland Trail Blazers, Hall of Fame, Arvydas Sabonis 

But Arvydas Sabonis still managed to convey his emotions about the warm reception that greeted him during a two-day visit to his old NBA city. “I am surprised,” Sabonis told me with a smile Thursday night after a 90-minute meeting with Trail Blazer employees and season ticket-holders at the Rose Room in the Rose Garden. “It has been seven, eight years since I was here. I love this city, these people. I feel comfortable here.” If I may help out the 7-3 Lithuanian lug, he was flattered, humbled and warmed that Portlanders would reach out to him in the way they did this week. Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Hall of Fame, Arvydas Sabonis 

Sabonis still wore a glow from the proceedings of last weekend at Springfield, Mass., where he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “I don’t think it has sunk in,” Sabonis said. “I may not understand yet. It may take a month or two. Of course, I am proud to be included among the legends of basketball.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Hall of Fame, Arvydas Sabonis