Blazers Set to Face Familiar Name on the Wrong Sideline

The Sabonis family is coming back to Portland.

Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, this particular Sabonis won't be wearing their uniform … and he might have a few ideas about making their Monday afternoon uncomfortable.

Nearly a quarter-century after Arvydas Sabonis played his final NBA game, his son Tautvydas will stand on the opposite sideline at Moda Center as head coach of the London Lions.

It's an unusual reunion for one of Portland's most recognizable basketball families ... especially considering the younger Sabonis has become a pretty accomplished coach himself.

The Blazers will host London on Monday at 1 p.m. PT, marking the first time a British professional basketball club has faced an NBA franchise.

That's a significant milestone for international basketball, although Portland fans might find the identity of London's coach a little more interesting.

After all, the Sabonis name still carries some weight around these parts.

Arvydas spent seven NBA seasons with Portland between 1995 and 2003, averaging 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 470 regular-season appearances.

The Lithuanian center arrived years after establishing himself as an international superstar, but his passing, footwork and basketball intelligence still made him a fan favorite.

Portland never got to see him at his physical peak … although getting a 7-foot-3 center who could make passes most guards wouldn't even attempt wasn't a bad consolation prize.

Now his son is bringing a championship team into town.

Tautvydas, 34, took over the Lions in July 2025 following five years in the coaching ranks at Žalgiris Kaunas.

His first season as a head coach ended with London sweeping all four major domestic trophies, capped by a 104-81 victory over the Cheshire Phoenix in the Super League Basketball playoff final.

Not a bad introduction to the profession.

Sabonis also earned Coach of the Year honors after building one of Britain's most disciplined defensive teams. The Lions allowed just 73.5 points per game during the domestic regular season — nearly 10 fewer than the next-best defense — while guard Tarik Phillip earned Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

Of course, holding British league opponents to 73 points is one thing. Keeping Ja Morant and Damian Lillard from scoring is an entirely different assignment.

Still, London isn't arriving in Portland with a roster of tourists looking for autographs. These are professional players coming off a championship season, coached by someone who has already demonstrated he knows how to win.

And for Sabonis, the destination makes this particular challenge personal.

"I'm excited to be playing a preseason game against an NBA team, and all the more so against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, a city that holds a lot of meaning for me and my family," Sabonis said when the matchup was announced.

"It will be fun to come back."

There's plenty of history behind those words. Tautvydas spent part of his childhood in Portland while his father was establishing his NBA legacy, and his younger brother, Domantas, eventually followed Arvydas into the league.

Basketball has taken the Sabonis family across continents and generations. Monday brings one of them back to a city that helped introduce the family to American basketball fans … although this time, he'll have every reason to root against the home team.

Portland enters with the obvious advantage in individual talent, but the Lions have more at stake than the final score.

For a British club making history, facing NBA competition offers a rare opportunity to measure its progress against the sport's highest level.

Sabonis has his own opportunity, too. He's built a championship résumé independent of his father's legacy, and now gets to test his team in a building where the family name remains familiar.

For years, Blazers fans watched Arvydas Sabonis make life miserable for opposing defenses. More than two decades later, another Sabonis is returning with a similar objective.

He'll just be trying to do it to Portland this time.