{{Short description|Lithuanian basketball coach and former player (born 1992)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Tautvydas Sabonis | image = Tautvydas Sabonis London Lions MB EuroCup 20251007 (1).jpg | caption = Sabonis coaching the London Lions in 2025 | position = Head coach | league = EuroCup, Super League Basketball | team = London Lions | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|5|1}} | birth_place = Valladolid, Spain | nationality = Lithuanian | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8 | weight_lb = 202 | high_school = | college = | draft_year = 2014 | draft_round = | draft_pick = | draft_team = | career_position = Small forward / power forward | career_number = 11, 22 | career_start = 2010 | career_end = 2019 | coach_start = 2019 | coach_end = | years1 = 2010–2015 | team1 = Clinicas Rincón Malaga | years2 = 2015–2016 | team2 = Palma Air Europe Mallorca | years3 = 2016–2017 | team3 = Leyma Coruña | years4 = 2017–2019 | team4 = TAU Castelló | cyears1 = 2019–2020 | cteam1 = Žalgiris-2 Kaunas (assistant) | cyears2 = 2020–2025 | cteam2 = Žalgiris Kaunas (assistant) | cyears3 = 2025–present | cteam3 = London Lions | highlights = '''As assistant coach:''' * 5× King Mindaugas Cup winner (2020–2025) * 3× Lithuanian champion (2021, 2023, 2025) '''As head coach:''' * British Super League Basketball Cup (2026) * British Championship Basketball Cup (2026) * British Super League Coach of the Year (2026) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}} {{MedalCountry|{{bk|LTU}}}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship}} {{MedalGold| 2012 Slovenia|U-20 Team}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA World Under-19 Championship}} {{MedalGold| 2011 Latvia|U-19 Team}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship}} {{MedalGold| 2010 Lithuania|U-18 Team}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship}} {{MedalGold| 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== Sabonis was born on May 1, 1992 in Valladolid, Spain when his father Arvydas Sabonis had played for the local basketball club CB Valladolid.<ref name="Eurobasket">{{cite web |title=Tautvydas Sabonis basketball profile |url=https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Tautvydas_Sabonis/157076 |website=Eurobasket.com |access-date=17 May 2026}}</ref> He is Arvydas Sabonis second son, Žygimantas is his older brother and Domantas is his younger brother, he also has a younger sister Aušrinė.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Holmes |first1=Baxter |title=NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis, his legendary father Arvydas -- and the enormous weight of legacy |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/story/_/id/42911487/nba-all-star-domantas-sabonis-legendary-father-arvydas-enormous-weight-legacy |website=ESPN |date=December 12, 2024 |access-date=17 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Urbonas |first1=Donatas |title=Nepriklausomybės vaiko pavyzdys: D.Sabonio fenomenas prasidėjo Sabonių namuose |url=https://www.15min.lt/24sek/naujiena/nba/nepriklausomybes-vaiko-pavyzdys-d-sabonio-fenomenas-prasidejo-saboniu-namuose-1130-1275680 |website=15min.lt |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt |date=11 November 2019}}</ref>
==Playing career== 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.<ref name="Eurobasket"/><ref name="RealGM">{{cite web |title=Tautvydas Sabonis Player Profile |url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tautvydas-Sabonis/Summary/24782 |website=RealGM |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tautvydas Sabonis |url=https://www.basketnews.lt/zaidejai/6813-tautvydas-sabonis.html |website=BasketNews.lt |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt}}</ref> At 27 years old he retired from professional basketball as a player.<ref name="Retired">{{cite web |title=Vos 27-erių sulaukęs T.Sabonis paskelbė apie karjeros pabaigą ir prisijungė „Žalgirio“ dublerių trenerių štabo |url=https://www.krepsinis.net/naujiena/vos-27-eriu-sulaukes-t-sabonis-paskelbe-apie-karjeros-pabaiga-ir-prisijunge-zalgirio-dubleriu-treneriu-stabo/297174 |website=Krepsinis.net |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt |date=9 August 2019}}</ref>
==Coaching career== ===Žalgiris-2 Kaunas and Žalgiris Kaunas (2019–2025)=== Following his retirement from professional basketball as a player, Sabonis in 2019 joined the Žalgiris-2 Kaunas as an assistant coach of Arvydas Gronskis.<ref name="Retired"/> 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.<ref name="Zalgiris-Lions">{{cite web |title=Su „Žalgiriu“ atsisveikinantis Sabonis: daug metų čia praleista, pasiilgsiu visų žmonių |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/sportas/10/2619352/su-zalgiriu-atsisveikinantis-sabonis-daug-metu-cia-praleista-pasiilgsiu-visu-zmoniu |website=Lithuanian National Radio and Television |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt |date=21 July 2025}}</ref>
===London Lions (2025–present)=== 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.<ref name="Zalgiris-Lions"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=London Lions Games |url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/london-lions/games/lli/ |website=EuroCup Basketball |access-date=17 May 2026}}</ref> Nevertheless, in the local British competitions the Lions achieved much more success as they in February 2026 won the Super League Basketball Cup,<ref>{{cite web |title=Pirmasis titulas: Sabonis su „Lions“ iškovojo lygos taurę |url=https://www.basketnews.lt/news-240189-pirmasis-titulas-sabonis-su-lions-iskovojo-lygos-taure.html |website=BasketNews.lt |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt}}</ref> in March 2026 won the British Championship Basketball Cup,<ref>{{cite web |title=Sabonis su „Lions“ iškovojo antrąjį titulą |url=https://www.basketnews.lt/news-243599-sabonis-su-lions-iskovojo-antraji-titula.html |website=BasketNews.lt |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sabonio treniruojamas „Lions“ – reguliaraus sezono nugalėtojas |url=https://www.15min.lt/24sek/naujiena/europa/sabonio-treniruojamas-lions-reguliaraus-sezono-nugaletojas-874-2656572 |website=15min.lt |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=London’s Tautvydas Sabonis secures Molten Ed Percival Coach of the Year crown in debut season as Head Coach |url=https://www.superleaguebasketballm.co.uk/londons-tautvydas-sabonis-secures-molten-ed-percival-coach-of-the-year-crown-in-debut-season-as-head-coach/ |website=Super League Basketball |access-date=17 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tautvydas Sabonis Didžiojoje Britanijoje pripažintas geriausiu metų treneriu |url=https://www.basketnews.lt/news-247402-tautvydas-sabonis-didziojoje-britanijoje-pripazintas-geriausiu-metu-treneriu.html |website=BasketNews.lt |date=14 May 2026 |access-date=17 May 2026 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=London Lions |url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYUt3xXIK8p/ |website=Instagram |date=14 May 2026 |access-date=17 May 2026}}</ref>
==National team career== 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tautvydas Sabonis |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/en/players/168955-tautvydas-sabonis |website=FIBA |access-date=17 May 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Lithuania Squad U18 European Championship 2010 - gold Medal}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabonis, Tautvydas}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Lithuanian basketball coaches Category:21st-century Lithuanian sportsmen Category:Basketball players from Valladolid Category:Small forwards Category:Power forwards Category:Lithuanian men's basketball players Category:Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Spain Category:Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in the United Kingdom Category:London Lions coaches