at and grew another in the next couple years. Sabonis could do everything on the court: play defense, assist his teammates, shoot three-pointers, and dominate inside the paint. During the 1980s, Žalgiris won three consecutive Soviet Union National League championships, from 1985 to 1987, beating CSKA Moscow (English: Central Sports Club of Army) in the finals. In 1985, they reached the Saporta Cup final, but lost to FC Barcelona. Despite the loss, Žalgiris participated in EuroLeague the next year as the Soviet Union champions, reaching the finals and losing to the rival Cibona. In 1986, Žalgiris won the William Jones Intercontinental Cup, defeating Dražen Petrović's Cibona Zagreb in the semi-finals and Ferro Carril Oeste in the finals. They also participated in 1987 FIBA Club World Cup. Žalgiris was emerging as one of the top clubs in Europe at the time. In the mid-1980s, the finals between Žalgiris Kaunas and CSKA Moscow served as a major inspiration for the Lithuanian national revival, especially when they played in Kaunas Sports Hall. From this emerged the Sąjūdis national movement and the re-establishment of state independence. 1987–1989: Setbacks In 1987, however, Žalgiris suffered a setback when star player Sabonis suffered a torn achilles tendon. Three months later, he tore it again, causing him to miss most of the 1987–88 season. That season, Žalgiris won a silver medal, losing to CSKA Moscow in the Soviet League finals. The next season, Žalgiris managed to reach the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals and won a silver medal in Soviet League, losing a dramatic finals to Stroitel Kiev. Just before the start of the 1989–90 season Žalgiris lost all of its leaders and half of its team: Sabonis, Kurtinaitis, Jovaiša, Chomičius and head coach Garastas all left the club, free from the Iron Curtain that had barred Lithuanian basketball talent from becoming internationals. 1989–1997: New generation In the 1989–90 season, Žalgiris reached the Clubs Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals, where they lost to Real Madrid. After the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, Žalgiris left the USSR championship. Over the next few seasons, Žalgiris won Lithuanian championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993, and the LKF Cup in 1990. Žalgiris won the ProfBasket Cup tournament, featuring many former USSR teams, in 1992. They won their first LKL title in 1994, beating Atletas Kaunas 3–1 in a four-game series. Over the following two years, Žalgiris again dominated LKL