Zaza Pachulia visits Tbilisi with championship trophy
By Mariam Chanishvili
Wednesday, Auugust 9
Georgian Basketball player Zaza Pachulia brought home the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy yesterday. His team - Golden State Warriors won the trophy after defeating Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals.
Pachulia joined the NBA in 2003, playing in Orlando, Milwaukee and Dallas before joining the Golden State Warriors last summer. His career started in the Turkish Basketball League.
He became the first Georgian to appear in the finals of the most prestigious national basketball championship.
Zaza Pachulia was awarded a prestigious Order of Honour for promoting Georgia upon the decision of the Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.
“I remember dreaming about playing professional basketball as a kid in the gyms of Tbilisi, and now, after a journey across continents that began when I was a teenager, I am coming home with the championship trophy. I am proud to represent Georgia and I am looking forward to celebrating with the people of my country this week,” Pachulia said.
Recently, Zaza Pachulia was awarded a prestigious Order of Honour for promoting Georgia upon the decision of the Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. Order of Honor is a State Award, established in December 1992.
Pachulia is preparing for Eurobasket 2017 with the Georgian basketball team, to be held in four countries: Finland, Israel, Romania and Turkey, to be held from August 31 to September 17 of this year.
Basketball Court named after Zaza Pachulia will be built in his native district on Marshal Gelovani Street, in Tbilisi. The construction of the basketball court is organized by the Oil Company "Gulf" and with the support of Didube Government.
As the Mayor of Tbilisi said, it is a good example of cooperation between the public and private sectors.
“In the district where Zaza Pachulia was raised, symbolically the basketball court is built. On the one hand, the new court will become an addition to this district and on the other hand it will be an example for our teenagers to train and prepare as Zaza Pachulia was preparing in the past, "said David Narmania.
The “Gulf” Basketball Court’s foundation was laid on August 7. The event was attended by Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania, representatives of Gulf Company, Zaza Pachulia, Didube Governor Irma Zavradashvili, etc.
The Zaza Pachulia Basketball Court will be opened in spring of 2018.
