Domantas Sabonis will play for Lithuania in FIBA Olympic Qualifiers

Lithuanian head coach received “a firm yes” from Sabonis and Jonas Valunciunas in regard to competing in Paris games

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Domantas Sabonis will be back on the world stage this summer.

The former Gonzaga men's basketball standout and All-NBA forward with the Sacramento Kings will suit up for the Lithuanian national team as it strives to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games, according to head coach Kazys Maksvytis. New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas also offered “a firm yes” to committing to the national team.

Lithuania, which finished sixth in the 2023 FIBA World Cup without Sabonis last summer, can punch its ticket to Paris with a first-place finish at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July. Sabonis and company will face Mexico and Ivory Coast in Group A on July 2 and 3. The top two teams from that group will advance to the semifinals to face the top two teams from Group B (Italy, Puerto Rico and Bahrain), with the final round taking place on July 7. The winner qualifies for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Prior to the qualifiers, Lithuania will host three games against Lebanon before a friendly against Luka Doncic and Slovenia in June. 

Sabonis last represented his home country on the international stage in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers. The 6-foot-11 post appeared in two games, averaging 16 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, to help Lithuania finish second in Group K. 

With a win in the 2024 qualifiers, Sabonis would be on his way to competing in the second Olympic Games in his career. Shortly after his Gonzaga career ended, he played six games in the 2016 Rio Games. Lithuania, which did not qualify for the 2020 games, finished seventh in Rio.

Sabonis is coming off another historic season with the Kings in which he led the NBA in rebounds, double-doubles (77) and triple-doubles (26). He averaged 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists — a stat line only Wilt Chamberlain has put together before — while racking up the most double-doubles since Moses Malone in 1978-79. Sabonis also became one of just six players in league history to record at least 26 triple-doubles in a season.