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Domantas Sabonis leaves lasting legacy with major gift to Gonzaga basketball The Gonzaga Bulldogs received a significant financial windfall on Thursday, and it comes from a familiar face.
Domantas Sabonis, who starred at Gonzaga in the 2 Gonzaga BulldogsDomantas Sabonis, who starred at Gonzaga in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons before embarking on what has been an outstanding NBA career so far, recently provided the school with a "transformative gift", and had the program's basketball strength and conditioning center named after him in a dedication ceremony on Thursday.
The Sabonis Family Strength and Conditioning Center "serves as a training foundation for Bulldog basketball student-athletes, supporting year-round strength development, injury prevention, recovery and performance optimization," per Gonzaga's press release.
It is located in the Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement.
The ceremony was held on Thursday afternoon in front of an invited audience of donors, alumni, student-athletes, and university leadership, where Sabonis and coach Mark Few took turns speaking at the podium."This is a significant gift from a remarkable family, and we're deeply grateful for their generosity," Few said.
"Their investment will have a lasting impact on our student-athletes and help ensure future generations of Bulldogs have every opportunity to grow and succeed.
The newly dedicated Sabonis Family Strength & Conditioning Center inside Gonzaga's Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement.| Photo by Myk CrawfordSabonis' Gonzaga legacy was already cemented when he had his jersey hung in the rafters back in January of 2025, joining Frank Burgess, John Stockton, Dan Dickau, Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, and Courtney Vandersloot with those honors.
The 6'11 Lithuanian is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, and has done plenty to separate himself as an elite offensive player at the game's highest level.Sabonis started at Gonzaga in the 2014-15 season, appearing in 38 games and playing 21.6 minutes off the bench behind an outstanding frontcourt of Przemek Karnowski and Kyle Wiltjer.
As a freshman, the big man averaged 9.7 points and 7.1 rebounds, while shooting 66.8% from the field to lead the WCC.
Domantas Sabonis smiles as Gonzaga coach Mark Few reflects on his impact during Thursday's dedication ceremony.| Photo by Myk Crawford He returned as a sophomore and blossomed into Gonzaga's star player, averaging 17.6 points and a league-leading 11.8 rebounds per night while shooting 61.1% from the field and 76.9% from the free throw line.
Sabonis was named to the All-WCC First Team and All-WCC Tournament team, and was integral in Gonzaga going on a shocking run to the Sweet 16 as a No.
11 seed who barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament.Sabonis remains Gonzaga's all-time leader in field goal percentage at 63.2%, and is 11th in program history with 694 career rebounds - despite only spending two seasons in Spokane.Im incredibly grateful for the important role Gonzaga has played in my life and the opportunities the University has given me, Sabonis said on Thursday.
My time here helped shape who I am, not only as a basketball player but as a person.
My family and I are honored to make this gift because we believe in Gonzagas commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the court each and every day.
The three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Third Team selection led the NBA in rebounds per game three consecutive seasons from 2022-23 through 2024-25, and he signed a four-year, 186 million dollar extension with Sacramento after the 2022-23 season, making him the highest-paid Gonzaga player in NBA history."We hope that every student who walks into this facility is reminded that with hard work and dedication, you can achieve your dreams," Sabonis continued.
"Gonzaga will always be home to us, so were proud to help invest in the next generation of Bulldogs.
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Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsAndy Patton is a diehard fan and alumnus of Gonzaga, graduating in 2013.Hes been the host of the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021, and one of two co-hosts on the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022.
In addition to covering college basketball, Andy has dabbled in sports writing and podcasting across nearly every major sport dating back to 2017.He was a beat writer covering the Seattle Seahawks from 20172021 for USA TODAY, where he also spent one year each covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and had a stint as the lead writer for College Sports Wire.
Andy has also written about the NBA, NHL, and MLB for various news outlets through TEGNA, including KREM in Spokane, CBS8 in San Diego, and KING 5 in Seattle.After stints in Spokane and Seattle, Andy is back in Oregon near his hometown with his wife, daughter, and dog.