Goga Bitadze facts for kids
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Bitadze with the Indiana Pacers in 2022
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| No. 35 – Orlando Magic | |
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| Center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 20 July 1999 Sagarejo, Georgia |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Pro career | 2015–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2016 | VITA Tbilisi |
| 2016–2019 | Mega |
| 2016–2017 | →Smederevo |
| 2018–2019 | →Budućnost |
| 2019–2023 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2019–2021 | →Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2023–present | Orlando Magic |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Goga Bitadze (Georgian: გოგა ბითაძე; born on July 20, 1999) is a professional basketball player from Georgia. He plays as a center for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Goga is 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds. He was chosen by the Indiana Pacers as the 18th pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
Goga started his basketball journey in Sagarejo, Georgia. He began his professional career with VITA Tbilisi in 2015. Later, he moved to the Serbian club Mega Basket. He also played for Smederevo 1953 and Budućnost. In 2019, he was named the EuroLeague Rising Star, an award for the best young player in the EuroLeague.
Goga is also a key member of the Georgian national basketball team. He joined the national team for EuroBasket 2017 and played in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in 2017. Before that, he played for Georgia's junior teams in FIBA competitions.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Start
Goga Bitadze was born in Sagarejo, a town in eastern Georgia. His father was also a professional basketball player, but his career ended early due to an injury. Even though Goga didn't watch much basketball as a child, he started playing when he was six years old. He felt he was "active and tall" enough for the sport.
As he got more into basketball, Goga looked up to Georgian players like Zaza Pachulia and Tornike Shengelia. He also admired NBA stars such as Pau Gasol and Shaquille O'Neal. In 2013, Goga scored 17 points to help his school team, Hyundai, win the national under-14 championship. He also played in the Georgian under-16 league for three years. In his last season with Hyundai's under-16 team (2014–15), Goga averaged impressive numbers: 23.1 points, 16.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.8 blocks per game. He trained with the junior teams of the Georgian club VITA Tbilisi during his early career.
Professional Basketball Journey
Playing for VITA Tbilisi (2015–2016)
In the 2015–16 season, Goga Bitadze started his professional career with VITA Tbilisi. They played in the VTB United League. He made his debut at just 16 years old, becoming the youngest player ever in that league. In six games, Goga averaged 2.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game.
Time with Mega Basket (2015–2019)
Junior Success and Loan to Smederevo (2015–2017)
On December 2, 2015, Goga signed with Mega Basket. This club plays in the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and the ABA League. Goga was interested in Mega because many NBA players, like Nikola Jokić and Ivica Zubac, had played there. He felt the Serbian league was "well run." Moving away from his family was tough at first, but he got used to it, knowing he had to "sacrifice to achieve something big."
In December 2015, Goga helped Mega's junior team win the Torneo Città di Roma. This win allowed them to play in the 2015–16 Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT). He averaged 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in three ANGT games.
For the 2016–17 season, Goga was loaned to Smederevo 1953, another Serbian club. He played 19 games, averaging 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. He scored a season-high 18 points four times. Goga also helped the Mega Basket junior team in the 2016–17 ANGT. He averaged 17.7 points, led the tournament with 10 rebounds and 3.8 blocks, and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Becoming a Star (2017–2018)
Goga returned to Mega for the 2017–18 season and mainly played with the senior team. In the ABA League, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 22 games. In the KLS, he averaged 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 12 games. In January 2018, Goga briefly played for Mega's junior team again. He helped them win the Junior ABA League championship. After averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds in the final tournament, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Goga thought about entering the 2018 NBA draft but decided to withdraw on June 11, 2018. He continued to play strongly, scoring a season-high 25 points in a KLS game against Vršac.
Continued Success (2018–2019)
Goga started the 2018–19 season still playing for Mega. In his first ABA League game, he scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. In October, he was named the ABA League's monthly MVP after a great performance. On November 3, he scored a season-high 28 points, along with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Through 11 games with Mega in the ABA League, he averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.
Loan to Budućnost (2018–2019)
On December 20, 2018, Goga was loaned to the Montenegrin club Budućnost. This team was playing in the top European league, EuroLeague. Goga joined them for the rest of the season. He said it was hard to get used to things at first, but his teammates and coaches helped him.
In his first game for Budućnost, he scored 12 points. Four days later, Goga made his EuroLeague debut, scoring 17 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots. He continued to play well, and over 13 EuroLeague games, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. For his excellent play, he won the EuroLeague Rising Star award, given to the best player under 22 in the EuroLeague. After Budućnost did not make the EuroLeague Playoffs, Goga returned to Mega for the rest of the season.
Indiana Pacers (2019–2023)
On April 20, 2019, Goga announced he would enter the 2019 NBA draft. Many thought he might be picked very early. On June 19, a photo of Goga being ignored by reporters, who were all around Zion Williamson (the first pick), went viral. NBA players like Dwyane Wade and Draymond Green suggested he use this as motivation.
The Indiana Pacers drafted Goga with the 18th pick. On July 15, 2019, the Pacers officially signed him. Goga made his NBA debut on October 28, 2019, scoring two points and getting one rebound in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After three and a half seasons, Goga was released by the Pacers on February 9, 2023.
Orlando Magic (2023–present)
On February 13, 2023, Goga Bitadze signed with the Orlando Magic. He re-signed with the Magic on July 6, 2024, and continues to play for them.
National Team Career
Junior National Team
Goga played for the Georgian national under-17 team in 2015. He averaged 14.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. He also played for the Georgian under-18 team in 2016, averaging 11.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks. In 2017, he played for the Georgian under-20 team, averaging 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Senior National Team
Goga was first chosen for the Georgian senior national team for EuroBasket 2017. However, a calf injury kept him from playing. Even so, he learned a lot by watching his experienced teammates like Zaza Pachulia. On November 24, 2017, Goga made his debut for the senior national team against Germany. This was during the qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He scored 4 points in 17 minutes.
Career Statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Indiana | 54 | 2 | 8.7 | .467 | .190 | .727 | 2.0 | .4 | .2 | .7 | 3.2 |
| 2020–21 | Indiana | 45 | 3 | 12.5 | .428 | .253 | .738 | 3.3 | .8 | .2 | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| 2021–22 | Indiana | 50 | 16 | 14.6 | .520 | .288 | .681 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .4 | .8 | 7.0 |
| 2022–23 | Indiana | 21 | 0 | 9.6 | .519 | .286 | .458 | 2.3 | .9 | .4 | .5 | 3.3 |
| Orlando | 17 | 1 | 15.0 | .575 | .167 | .667 | 5.2 | 1.2 | .4 | .9 | 5.8 | |
| 2023–24 | Orlando | 62 | 33 | 15.4 | .603 | .143 | .655 | 4.6 | 1.3 | .5 | 1.2 | 5.0 |
| 2024–25 | Orlando | 70 | 42 | 20.4 | .611 | .107 | .639 | 6.6 | 2.0 | .7 | 1.4 | 7.2 |
| Career | 319 | 97 | 14.4 | .541 | .230 | .662 | 4.1 | 1.2 | .4 | 1.1 | 5.4 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Orlando | 2 | 0 | 4.9 | .000 | — | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 4.9 | .000 | — | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
EuroLeague
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Budućnost | 13 | 4 | 24.2 | .548 | .313 | .714 | 6.4 | 1.2 | .5 | 2.3 | 12.1 | 16.3 |
| Career | 13 | 4 | 24.2 | .548 | .313 | .714 | 6.4 | 1.2 | .5 | 2.3 | 12.1 | 16.3 | |
Images for kids
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Bitadze with the Indiana Pacers in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Goga Bitadze para niños
