‘What being a Zag is’: Sabonis returns to Gonzaga for special honor after unprecedented donation

Domantas Sabonis’ work ethic, toughness and winning attitude are some of the values that epitomize Gonzaga University’s basketball program, coach Mark Few said Thursday.

So, it’s only fitting that it’s Sabonis’ name that Gonzaga men’s and women’s basketball players see when they enter the newly named Sabonis Family Strength & Conditioning Center on the school’s Spokane campus.

“I can’t think of a better name for us to practice in front of and to walk through to give us inspiration and to put our work in like the guys are currently doing,” Few said.

Sabonis starred for the Bulldogs from 2014-16 and now plays for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. He and his wife, Shashana, made a “transformative and significant gift commitment” to Gonzaga’s men’s basketball program, according to the university.

Gonzaga recognized that generosity Thursday with the naming of the men’s and women’s basketball strength and conditioning facility in the Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement after the Sabonis family.

With their three children by their side, the Sabonis couple each pulled a string Thursday afternoon, removing a black curtain and revealing the fresh name in Gonzaga-blue block letters above the entrance to the facility. More than 100 attendees, including Gonzaga leadership and current and former players, applauded.

“It’s crazy, you know?” Sabonis said. “I came here just wanting to play college ball. I didn’t know any of this would happen, from a jersey in the rafters to this in a matter of a year and a half, it’s pretty cool.”

Tom Hudson, Gonzaga’s play-by-play voice, said the Sabonis couple’s donation was the largest ever made to the school’s athletics by a former Gonzaga basketball player. The dollar amount was not released, however.

In a long line of Gonzaga basketball greats, Sabonis was one of the most accomplished.

In his two seasons, Sabonis scored 1,000 points, grabbed nearly 700 rebounds and holds the school record for best field goal percentage of 63%, Hudson said.

He led the Bulldogs to an Elite Eight and Sweet 16, jumpstarting a nine-year stretch of Sweet 16 appearances. He was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft. The three-time NBA All-Star has scored more than 10,000 points in his 10-year professional career.

Hudson said Sabonis added another chapter to his “remarkable legacy” Thursday.

“It’s a space that will continue to help shape generations of Bulldogs student-athletes through year-round training, development, recovery and performance,” Hudson said. “And more importantly, it stands as a lasting symbol of what it means to be a Zag for life.”

Hudson said Sabonis will continue to support Gonzaga men’s basketball in leadership and advisory roles.

“Sharing his experience and perspective with future generations of Zags is going to be a big, big part of what Domas is doing,” he said.

Sabonis called Thursday a “full-circle moment” and said he had “the best time” in his two years at Gonzaga.

“I think it’s been 12 years now since I came here on campus from Europe by myself,” Sabonis told attendees. “You know, being a Zag just means everything to me. I learned so many life lessons on and off the court.”

He thanked Few, his assistant coaches and others who helped him at Gonzaga.

“It’s been 10 years in the NBA, and I couldn’t be here without this special program,” Sabonis said.

Sabonis continues to return to Spokane and Gonzaga, where he blossomed into an All-American.

“It definitely feels like home to me here every time I come, every time I land, and it really is special to me,” he said. “Seeing all the guys here and what they can accomplish moving forward really excites me.”

Gonzaga’s strength and conditioning room opened in 2018 when the school completed construction on the three-story Volkar Center, which also includes a state-of-the-art basketball practice court, nutrition and social space, and academic support service for student-athletes.

So, Sabonis wasn’t lucky enough to utilize the workout facility.

“This is amazing, you know?” Sabonis said. “We always dreamt of this and talked about it with the guys on my first two years here.”

He said he’s since used it during the summer to work out and see current Gonzaga players.

“I really hope this facility gets used by present and future Zags, and we see a lot more NBA and WNBA players out here,” he said.

Few said Sabonis “set the tone” during his “incredible” two-year stint.

“When you do this long enough, you know, you can’t have favorites because they’re all like your kids and you can’t pick favorites, but let me tell you something, if anybody really epitomizes what being a Zag is, it’s Domantas,” Few said.

He said he still references Sabonis to his players and recruits on what it takes to be a Zag. He said Sabonis only cared about winning, not his personal statistics.

“He really, really, truly values team over everything,” Few said. “And he showed that throughout his entire career here, and he continues to show that in the NBA.”

Few also raved about Sabonis’ toughness and shared a story to exemplify it.

He said Sabonis dislocated his finger hours before a game during his time at Gonzaga.

After consulting with the trainer and coaches, Sabonis decided to call his father, former NBA player Arvydas Sabonis, in Lithuania. His father asked if playing would make the injury worse, and the trainer said it wouldn’t.

“Well, you need to play then,” Few said, quoting the elder Sabonis. “And Domas was like, ‘Yeah, I want to play.’ And as simple as that sounds, that just does not happen in this day and age, OK? That is just old school toughness.”

Few told reporters after the ceremony that it’s fun to watch his former star post in the NBA.

“No matter how long the season is, he brings it, you know?” Few said. “He brings it and he wants to win. … It’s even better to see him as a dad and a father.”

Former Gonzaga guards Kevin Pangos and Silas Melson, both of whom played with Sabonis, were two former players in attendance Thursday.

Pangos told reporters it was special to witness the ceremony and that his former teammate deserves everything he gets. He said it’s fitting the strength and conditioning center was named after Sabonis because he’s a “beast.”

“It’s crazy to see what he’s made of his career,” Pangos said. “Coming in as a freshman, he’s obviously a beast as a freshman, but it’s even more so now, and so it’s really cool to see – him as a player and a person with his family now.”