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{{Short description|Georgian basketball player (born 1984)}}{{About-distinguish|the Georgian basketball player|Zsa Zsa Padilla}}{{pp-blp|small=yes}}

factoids

Tbilisi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic>Georgian SSR, Soviet Union| draft_year = 2003| draft_round = 2| draft_pick = 42| draft_team = Orlando Magic| career_start = 1999| career_end = 2019Center (basketball)>Center| career_number = 27| years1 = 1999–2003| team1 = Ülkerspor2003|full=y}}| team2 = Orlando Magic2004|full=y}}| team3 = Milwaukee Bucks20052012|end}}| team4 = Atlanta Hawks2011–12 Turkish Basketball League>2011Galatasaray Men's Basketball Team>Galatasaray20132014|end}}| team6 = Milwaukee Bucks2015|full=y}}| team7 = Dallas Mavericks20162017|end}}| team8 = Golden State Warriors2018|full=y}}| team9 = Detroit Pistons| highlights =As player:

• 2× NBA champion (2017, 2018)
• Turkish League champion (2001)
• Turkish Cup winner (2003)
• 3× Turkish Presidential Cup winner (2001–2003)

As executive:

• NBA champion (2022)| stats_league = NBA

Point (basketball)>Points| stat1value = 7,414 (6.8 ppg)Rebound (basketball)>Rebounds| stat2value = 6,315 (5.8 rpg)Assist (basketball)>Assists| stat3value = 1,433 (1.3 apg)}}Zaza Pachulia (; {{IPA-ka|zaza patʃʰulia}} born Zaur Pachulia; 10 February 1984)WEB, Zaza Pachulia, Milwaukee Bucks,weblink July 2, 2018, is a Georgian professional basketball executive and former player who is a basketball operations consultant for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Beginning his professional career in Turkey as a teenager, Pachulia was drafted in the second round of the 2003 draft by the Orlando Magic. He played for seven teams in his 16-year NBA career, winning two championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. He also played for the Georgia national team, captaining them in multiple tournaments.WEB, Atlanta Hawks: If NBA lockout lingers, Zaza Pachulia may play in Turkey,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110910003939weblink">weblink 2011-09-10, Pachulia also had a reputation of being a "dirty" player, notably injuring Kawhi Leonard during the 2017 playoffs.WEB, Here's the history of Zaza Pachulia's dirty plays that Gregg Popovich was so mad about,weblink dead,weblink 2018-09-10,

Professional career

Ülkerspor (1999–2003)

Pachulia started playing basketball at an early age in Georgia. He was approximately {{convert|6|ft|8|in|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} at the age of 13. He was scouted and recruited by the Turkish professional team Ãœlkerspor when he was a teenager. He became a member of the Georgian junior national basketball team at a young age, leading them at various tournaments.NEWS, 10 things to know about Mavs center Zaza Pachulia, including his fashion sense, fights with other NBA players,weblink 19 January 2017, SportsDay, Dallas News, 1 October 2015, en,

Orlando Magic (2003–2004)

Once he distinguished himself with Ãœlkerspor, Pachulia was drafted in the second round by the Orlando Magic during the 2003 NBA draft.

Milwaukee Bucks (2004–2005)

After being selected in the 2004 expansion draft by the Charlotte Bobcats, Pachulia was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played the 2004–05 season.Bobcats Acquire Draft Picks In Two Trades {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100321141603weblink |date=2010-03-21 }} While with the Bucks, he averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game off the bench.

Atlanta Hawks (2005–2011)

File:Zaza Pachulia.jpg|thumb|left|Pachulia with the Atlanta HawksAtlanta HawksPachulia signed a contract with the Atlanta HawksHawks Sign Zaza Pachulia, Aug. 11, 2005; article retrieved March 21, 2007 in the 2005 off-season and became the Hawks' starting center, when he averaged 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during the 2005–06 season. He began as the starting center during the 2006–07 season but later came off the bench. An on-court altercation between the relatively obscure Pachulia and Celtics star Kevin Garnett led one writer to dub Pachulia "Balboa" after the lead character from the Rocky series of movies.HAWKS: Everything You Need To Know About...Hawks vs Celtics | Game 6 | May 2, 2008. Nba.com. Retrieved on 2017-07-15. Pachulia re-signed with the Hawks on July 13, 2009, agreeing to a multi-year contract.WEB, HAWKS SIGN MIKE BIBBY, ZAZA PACHULIA,weblink NBA.com, 2009-07-13, 2011-04-24,

Galatasaray (2011)

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Pachulia signed with Galatasaray of the Turkish Basketball League.Galatasaray brings in Zaza Pachulia. Euroleague.net (2011-10-07). Retrieved on 2017-07-15.

Return to Atlanta (2011–2013)

Pachulia returned to the Hawks in December 2011, playing with them until 2013.

Return to Milwaukee (2013–2015)

On July 17, 2013, Pachulia signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.Bucks Sign Free Agent Center Zaza Pachulia. Nba.com (2013-07-17). Retrieved on 2017-07-15. On March 20, 2015, he recorded 22 points and 21 rebounds in a 129–127 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets. His 21 rebounds included 18 offensive rebounds, which marked an NBA season high and a Bucks franchise record.Lopez, Nets pull out 3-overtime victory over slumping Bucks. Nba.com. Retrieved on 2017-07-15.

Dallas Mavericks (2015–2016)

On July 9, 2015, Pachulia was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a future second-round pick.WEB,weblink Mavericks Acquire center Zaza Pachulia from Bucks, NBA.com, July 9, 2015, July 14, 2015, He made his debut for the Mavericks in the team's season opener against the Phoenix Suns on October 28, recording a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 111–95 win.WEB,weblink 8 Dallas players reach double figures, Mavs rout Suns 111–95, NBA.com, October 28, 2015, October 28, 2015, On December 26, he recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls, surpassing his 2014–15 season total.WEB,weblink Barea hits career-high 7 3s, Mavericks top Bulls 118–111, NBA.com, December 26, 2015, December 27, 2015, On January 12, 2016, he recorded his 20th double-double of the season, and the 100th in his career, with 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 110–107 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.WEB,weblink LeBron has 27, Cavs win 8th in row, 110–107 over Mavs in OT, NBA.com, January 12, 2016, January 13, 2016, Later that month, he came within 14,227 votes of knocking out San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard for a starting spot on the West All-Star team for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game.WEB, Duffy, Thomas,weblink Mavs C Zaza Pachulia Was 14K Votes Away from Being All-Star Starter, BleacherReport.com, January 21, 2016, January 22, 2016, On February 3, 2016, he recorded 10 points and 15 rebounds against the Miami Heat for his career-best 22nd double-double of the season. His previous best was 21 double-doubles, set with Atlanta in 2005–06.WEB,weblink Wade's bounce-back, Bosh's 20 lead Heat over Mavericks 93–90, NBA.com, February 3, 2016, February 4, 2016,

Golden State Warriors (2016–2018)

2016–17 season

On July 12, 2016, Pachulia signed with the Golden State Warriors.WEB,weblink Warriors Sign Free Agent Center Zaza Pachulia, NBA.com, July 12, 2016, July 12, 2016, On December 22, 2016, he had a season-best game with 15 points and 14 rebounds in a 117–101 win over the Brooklyn Nets.WEB,weblink Zaza Pachulia 2016–17 Game Log, Basketball-Reference.com, December 23, 2016, Pachulia helped the Warriors finish the 2016–17 regular season with 67 wins. During Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, he had an infamous closeout foot slide on Kawhi Leonard,WEB, Malinowski, Erin,weblink Kawhi Leonard's Injury Is a Shame, but Was Zaza Pachulia's Play Really Dirty?, bleacherreport.com, May 16, 2017, November 1, 2017, which ruled out Leonard for the rest of the series and effectively ended San Antonio's season.WEB, Bushnell, Henry,weblink The NBA is cracking down on dangerous Zaza-esque closeouts, Yahoo.com, September 22, 2017, November 1, 2017, While Pachulia denied that he intended to injure Leonard, he was instantly dubbed a villain by the public and media.WEB, Bushnell, Henry,weblink Warriors' Zaza Pachulia, family threatened after Kawhi Leonard incident, USAToday.com, May 21, 2017, November 1, 2017, The Warriors went on to win the NBA championship after defeating the Cavaliers 4–1 in the 2017 NBA Finals. Pachulia made history for Georgia by becoming the first player from the country to win an NBA Championship.WEB,weblink Zaza Pachulia becomes Georgia's first NBA champion, agenda.ge, June 13, 2017, June 14, 2017, The Warriors finished the playoffs with a 16–1 record, the best postseason winning percentage in NBA history.NEWS,weblink Warriors (16–1) Record Best Postseason Winning Percentage in NBA History, Bleacher Report, 2017-06-18, en-US,

2017–18 season

On July 25, 2017, Pachulia re-signed with the Warriors.WEB,weblink Warriors Re-Sign Curry, Durant, Iguodala, Livingston, Pachulia and West to Contracts, NBA.com, July 25, 2017, July 25, 2017, On December 30, 2017, he scored a season-best 17 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists in a 141–128 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.WEB,weblink Curry makes season-best 10 3-pointers in return from injury, ESPN.com, December 30, 2017, December 30, 2017, In a game against the Thunder on February 25, 2018, Pachulia again caused controversy as he fell onto Russell Westbrook's knee after a play. Westbrook stated in an interview after the game that he believed Pachulia's fall was intentional with the intent of injuring his knee.WEB, Russell Westbrook, Paul George call out Zaza Pachulia after dangerous fall,weblink February 25, 2018, March 5, 2018, NBA.com, Teammate Kevin Durant later defended Pachulia stating that he had gotten his feet tangled up with Nick Young in the incident,WEB, Kevin Durant Defends Zaza Pachulia After Fall on Russell Westbrook: He's Clumsy,weblink Scott, Polacek, February 25, 2018, March 5, 2018, Bleacher Report, but Pachulia was criticized by many players, coaches and pundits such as Paul George, Kyrie Irving,WEB, Kyrie Irving calls Zaza Pachulia's fall on Russell Westbrook "unacceptable", Dane, Carbaugh, NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports,weblink March 2, 2018, March 5, 2018, Gregg Popovich,WEB, Zaza Pachulia Says Russell Westbrook Calling Him a Dirty Player Is 'Childish',weblink Timmothy, Rapp, February 25, 2018, March 5, 2018, Bleacher Report, describing the incident as yet another in a long list of controversial dirty plays in Pachulia's career. The NBA officially stated that they would not discipline Pachulia over the incident.WEB, Zaza Pachulia Says Russell Westbrook Calling Him a Dirty Player Is 'Childish',weblink February 26, 2018, March 5, 2018, Sports Illustrated, Charlotte, Carroll, In June 2018, Pachulia won his second straight championship as a member of the Warriors, after they defeated the Cavaliers in a four-game sweep in the Finals.

Detroit Pistons (2018–2019)

On July 15, 2018, Pachulia signed with the Detroit Pistons.WEB,weblink Detroit Pistons sign free agent Zaza Pachulia, NBA.com, July 15, 2018, July 15, 2018,

Executive career

On August 29, 2019, Pachulia retired from playing and re-joined the Warriors as a front office consultant in their basketball operations department.WEB, Kent, Austin, ZAZA PACHULIA RETIRES, JOINS WARRIORS AS CONSULTANT,weblink Slamonline.com, August 29, 2019, August 29, 2019, WEB, Warriors Announce Basketball Operations Promotions and Additions,weblink NBA.com, August 29, 2019, August 29, 2019, He won his third NBA championship after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals.

Personal life

Pachulia legally changed his first name from Zaur to Zaza. He and his wife, Tika, have two sons, Davit and Saba, and a daughter, Mariam. Beginning in 2004, Pachulia hosted annual free summer basketball camps for children in different locations throughout Georgia until 2016 when he established a basketball academy in his native Tbilisi.NEWS, Zwerling, Jared, Inside Zaza Pachulia's New Sports Academy—with the Bucks Court on Its Way to Europe,weblink 19 January 2017, National Basketball Players Association, 27 May 2016, In 2017, Pachulia received the Order of Honor from Republic of Georgia president Giorgi Margvelashvili.WEB,weblink Warriors Center Zaza Pachulia to Receive Order of Honor from Republic of Georgia, NBA.com, August 4, 2017, August 6, 2017, He also holds Turkish citizenship.

Career statistics

{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y}}

NBA

Regular season

{{NBA player statistics start}} {{nbay|2003}} Orlando| 3.3 {{nbay|2004}} Milwaukee.5 >| 6.2 {{nbay|2005}} Atlanta78 >31.4 >1.1 >.5 >| 11.7 {{nbay|2006}} Atlanta1.1 >.5 >| 12.2 {{nbay|2007}} Atlanta| 5.2 {{nbay|2008}} Atlanta| 6.2 {{nbay|2009}} Atlanta| 4.3 {{nbay|2010}} Atlanta79 >| 4.4 {{nbay|2011}} Atlanta.5 >| 7.8 {{nbay|2012}} Atlanta| 5.9 {{nbay|2013}} Milwaukee.846 >2.6 >| 7.7 {{nbay|2014}} Milwaukee1.1 >| 8.3 {{nbay|2015}} Dallas9.4 >| 8.6 {{nbay|2016}}† Golden State.5 >| 6.1 {{nbay|2017}}† Golden State.564 >| 5.4 {{nbay|2018}} Detroit| 3.9 class="sortbottom" Career| 6.8

Playoffs

{{NBA player statistics start}} 2008 Atlanta| 4.1 2009 Atlanta23.6 >6.9 >| 6.9 2010 Atlanta.6 >| 4.6 2011 Atlanta| 3.5 2015 Milwaukee1.7 >| 6.7 2016 Dallas.882 >3.2 >| 6.6 2017† Golden State15 >15 >| 5.1 2018† Golden State.571 >| 2.4 class="sortbottom" Career| 5.0

EuroLeague

{{Euroleague player statistics start}} 2001–02 Ülkerspor.536 >.733 >| 3.7 2002–03 Ülkerspor14 >2 >.5 >.5 >| 4.8 2011–12 Galatasaray2 >15.1 >4.5 >.5 >.5 >.5 >6.5 >| 6.8 class="sortbottom" Career| 4.6

National team

SourceWEB,weblink Zaza Pachulia – EuroBasket (2015) – FIBA Europe, www.fibaeurope.com, 13 March 2018, {|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"! Year! Competition! GP! MPG! FG%! 3P%! FT%! RPG! APG! SPG! BPG! PPG 2003 EuroBasket qualification Preliminary Round| 12.6 2003 EuroBasket qualification Qualifying Round.250 >2.4 >| 15.6 2005 EuroBasket 2005 Division B.595 >13.0 >| 21.0 2007 EuroBasket 2007 Division B32.8 >1.9 >| 19.9 2009 EuroBasket 2009 Division B10 >| 17.9 2011 EuroBasket 2011 qualification| 15.8 2011 EuroBasket 2011| 13.6 2013 EuroBasket 2013 qualification| 18.6 2015 EuroBasket 2015 qualification| 17.5 2015 EuroBasket 2015| 13.5 2017 EuroBasket 2017 qualification.921 >4.3 >| 15.2 2017 EuroBasket 2017| 13.4

See also

• List of European basketball players in the United States

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

{{commons}}{{basketballstats|nba=zaza_pachulia|bbr=p/pachuza01}}

• Pachulia's official website
• Zaza Pachulia at euroleague.net

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