Tass Reports Soviet Star Sabonis Will Play in Olympics

Soviet center Arvidas Sabonis, sidelined for 18 months by an injury to his Achilles’ tendon, will play basketball in the Seoul Olympics, the official news agency Tass reported Monday.

The 7-foot 3-inch Sabonis, considered one of the best players in the world before being hurt, was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1986 draft.

Sabonis underwent physical rehabilitation with the National Basketball Assn. club for the past four months and was declared fit to play after consultation with Soviet physicians, Soviet Coach Alexander Gomelsky told Tass.

Sabonis, 23, is very agile and a good ball-handler for a player his size. His presence on the experienced national team makes the Soviets, already one of the favorites in basketball, an even stronger contender for a medal in South Korea.

Gomelsky said Sabonis gives the Soviets a “real chance to win the gold at Seoul.”