Zaza Pachulia facts for kids
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Pachulia with the Golden State Warriors in 2017
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| Golden State Warriors | |
|---|---|
| Consultant | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 10 February 1984 Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Georgian / Turkish |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 42nd overall |
| Selected by the Orlando Magic | |
| Pro career | 1999–2019 |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 1999–2003 | Ülkerspor |
| 2003–2004 | Orlando Magic |
| 2004–2005 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2005–2013 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2011 | Galatasaray |
| 2013–2015 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2015–2016 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2016–2018 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2018–2019 | Detroit Pistons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As executive:
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 7,414 (6.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6,315 (5.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,433 (1.3 apg) |
Zaza Pachulia (born Zaur Pachulia on February 10, 1984) is a famous Georgian basketball player. He is now a consultant for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Zaza started his professional basketball journey in Turkey when he was a teenager. He was chosen by the Orlando Magic in the 2003 NBA draft. During his 16 years in the NBA, he played for seven different teams. He won two championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Zaza also led the Georgian national team as their captain in many tournaments. He was known for his tough play, which even led to a new rule called the "Zaza rule" after an incident in the 2017 playoffs.
Contents
- Zaza's Basketball Journey
- Early Years in Turkey (1999–2003)
- Joining the NBA: Orlando Magic (2003–2004)
- Milwaukee Bucks (2004–2005)
- Atlanta Hawks (2005–2011)
- Playing in Turkey Again (2011)
- Back to the Hawks (2011–2013)
- Return to Milwaukee (2013–2015)
- Dallas Mavericks (2015–2016)
- Golden State Warriors (2016–2018)
- Detroit Pistons (2018–2019)
- Life After Playing: Executive Career
- Personal Life
- Career Statistics
- More to Explore
- See also
Zaza's Basketball Journey
Early Years in Turkey (1999–2003)
Zaza Pachulia began playing basketball in his home country of Georgia when he was very young. By age 13, he was already about 6 feet 8 inches tall! A professional team from Turkey, Ülkerspor, noticed his talent and signed him when he was a teenager. He also played for Georgia's junior national team, leading them in various competitions.
Joining the NBA: Orlando Magic (2003–2004)
After showing his skills with Ülkerspor, Zaza was drafted into the NBA. The Orlando Magic picked him in the second round of the 2003 NBA draft. This was a big step for his career.
Milwaukee Bucks (2004–2005)
After a short time with the Charlotte Bobcats, Zaza was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played the 2004–05 season with them. Coming off the bench, he averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Atlanta Hawks (2005–2011)
In 2005, Zaza signed with the Atlanta Hawks. He became their main center and had a great season in 2005–06, averaging 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He was known for his strong play. One writer even called him "Balboa" after the tough character from the Rocky movies. He stayed with the Hawks for several years.
Playing in Turkey Again (2011)
During a time when NBA players were not allowed to play (called a lockout), Zaza went back to Turkey. He played for Galatasaray in the Turkish Basketball League for a short period.
Back to the Hawks (2011–2013)
Zaza returned to the Atlanta Hawks in December 2011 and continued playing for them until 2013.
Return to Milwaukee (2013–2015)
On July 17, 2013, Zaza signed again with the Milwaukee Bucks. He had a memorable game on March 20, 2015. He scored 22 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, which was a record for the Bucks team.
Dallas Mavericks (2015–2016)
In 2015, Zaza was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. In his first game with them, he scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds. He continued to have many "double-doubles" (scoring double digits in two different stats) throughout the season. He even came close to being voted into the NBA All-Star Game!
Golden State Warriors (2016–2018)
First Championship (2016–17)
On July 12, 2016, Zaza joined the Golden State Warriors. He helped the Warriors have an amazing season, winning 67 games. During the playoffs, there was a controversial moment involving Zaza and another player, Kawhi Leonard. Zaza's foot slide led to a new rule being created. The Warriors went on to win the NBA championship, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers. Zaza became the first player from Georgia to win an NBA Championship! The Warriors had an incredible playoff record of 16 wins and only 1 loss.
Second Championship (2017–18)
Zaza re-signed with the Warriors in 2017. He continued to be a strong player for the team. In a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, another incident involving Zaza and Russell Westbrook caused discussion. Many people debated whether it was intentional. The NBA decided not to punish Zaza for the incident. In June 2018, Zaza won his second straight championship with the Warriors, as they swept the Cavaliers in the Finals.
Detroit Pistons (2018–2019)
On July 15, 2018, Zaza signed with the Detroit Pistons for his final season as a player.
Life After Playing: Executive Career
On August 29, 2019, Zaza Pachulia officially stopped playing basketball. He then joined the Golden State Warriors again, but this time as a consultant in their basketball operations department. In this new role, he helped the Warriors win another NBA championship in 2022, when they defeated the Boston Celtics. This was his third NBA championship overall.
Personal Life
Zaza legally changed his first name from Zaur to Zaza. He is married to Tika, and they have two sons, Davit and Saba, and a daughter, Mariam. For many years, Zaza hosted free summer basketball camps for kids in Georgia. In 2016, he opened his own basketball academy in his hometown of Tbilisi.
In 2017, Zaza received the Order of Honor from the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. He also has Turkish citizenship.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Orlando | 59 | 2 | 11.3 | .389 | – | .644 | 2.9 | .2 | .4 | .2 | 3.3 |
| 2004–05 | Milwaukee | 74 | 4 | 18.9 | .452 | .000 | .746 | 5.1 | .8 | .6 | .5 | 6.2 |
| 2005–06 | Atlanta | 78 | 78 | 31.4 | .451 | .000 | .735 | 7.9 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .5 | 11.7 |
| 2006–07 | Atlanta | 72 | 47 | 28.1 | .474 | .000 | .786 | 6.9 | 1.5 | 1.1 | .5 | 12.2 |
| 2007–08 | Atlanta | 62 | 5 | 15.2 | .437 | .000 | .706 | 4.0 | .6 | .4 | .2 | 5.2 |
| 2008–09 | Atlanta | 77 | 26 | 19.1 | .497 | .000 | .709 | 5.7 | .7 | .5 | .3 | 6.2 |
| 2009–10 | Atlanta | 78 | 1 | 14.0 | .488 | .000 | .650 | 3.8 | .5 | .5 | .4 | 4.3 |
| 2010–11 | Atlanta | 79 | 7 | 15.7 | .461 | – | .754 | 4.2 | .7 | .4 | .3 | 4.4 |
| 2011–12 | Atlanta | 58 | 44 | 28.3 | .499 | – | .741 | 7.9 | 1.4 | .9 | .5 | 7.8 |
| 2012–13 | Atlanta | 52 | 15 | 21.8 | .473 | .000 | .757 | 6.5 | 1.5 | .7 | .2 | 5.9 |
| 2013–14 | Milwaukee | 53 | 43 | 25.0 | .427 | .000 | .846 | 6.3 | 2.6 | .8 | .3 | 7.7 |
| 2014–15 | Milwaukee | 73 | 45 | 23.7 | .454 | .000 | .788 | 6.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | .3 | 8.3 |
| 2015–16 | Dallas | 76 | 69 | 26.4 | .454 | .000 | .768 | 9.4 | 1.7 | .8 | .3 | 8.6 |
| 2016–17† | Golden State | 70 | 70 | 18.1 | .534 | .000 | .778 | 5.9 | 1.9 | .8 | .5 | 6.1 |
| 2017–18† | Golden State | 69 | 57 | 14.1 | .564 | .000 | .806 | 4.7 | 1.6 | .6 | .2 | 5.4 |
| 2018–19 | Detroit | 68 | 3 | 12.9 | .440 | .000 | .782 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .5 | .3 | 3.9 |
| Career | 1,098 | 516 | 20.3 | .469 | .000 | .751 | 5.8 | 1.3 | .7 | .3 | 6.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Atlanta | 7 | 0 | 15.0 | .280 | .000 | .714 | 2.9 | .3 | .3 | .0 | 4.1 |
| 2009 | Atlanta | 11 | 1 | 23.6 | .415 | – | .762 | 6.9 | .3 | .5 | .3 | 6.9 |
| 2010 | Atlanta | 11 | 0 | 14.6 | .514 | – | .625 | 3.5 | .3 | .2 | .6 | 4.6 |
| 2011 | Atlanta | 11 | 0 | 17.7 | .478 | – | .773 | 4.9 | 1.2 | .2 | .1 | 3.5 |
| 2015 | Milwaukee | 6 | 6 | 21.5 | .400 | – | .615 | 6.7 | 1.5 | 1.7 | .5 | 6.7 |
| 2016 | Dallas | 5 | 4 | 22.4 | .375 | – | .882 | 5.4 | 3.2 | .6 | .2 | 6.6 |
| 2017† | Golden State | 15 | 15 | 14.1 | .533 | .000 | .765 | 3.8 | .8 | .5 | .3 | 5.1 |
| 2018† | Golden State | 7 | 0 | 3.7 | .571 | – | .750 | 1.7 | .1 | .4 | .1 | 2.4 |
| 2019 | Detroit | 2 | 0 | 10.9 | .333 | – | .500 | 4.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.5 |
| Career | 75 | 26 | 16.3 | .443 | .000 | .735 | 4.4 | .8 | .5 | .3 | 4.9 | |
EuroLeague
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Ülkerspor | 13 | 1 | 7.4 | .536 | .000 | .733 | 1.8 | .2 | .3 | .1 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| 2002–03 | Ülkerspor | 14 | 2 | 10.4 | .467 | .000 | .625 | 2.9 | .3 | .5 | .5 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| 2011–12 | Galatasaray | 4 | 2 | 15.1 | .389 | .000 | .600 | 4.5 | .5 | .5 | .5 | 6.5 | 6.8 |
| Career | 31 | 5 | 10.0 | .473 | .000 | .642 | 2.6 | .3 | .4 | .1 | 4.2 | 4.6 | |
National team
Source
| Year | Competition | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | EuroBasket qualification Preliminary Round | 5 | 23.4 | .511 | .000 | .750 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .0 | 12.6 |
| 2003 | EuroBasket qualification Qualifying Round | 5 | 27.6 | .468 | .250 | .576 | 10.8 | .0 | 2.4 | .6 | 15.6 |
| 2005 | EuroBasket 2005 Division B | 6 | 31.3 | .595 | .000 | .760 | 13.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 21.0 |
| 2007 | EuroBasket 2007 Division B | 8 | 32.8 | .452 | .000 | .722 | 8.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 19.9 |
| 2009 | EuroBasket 2009 Division B | 10 | 29.4 | .508 | .000 | .671 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 17.9 |
| 2011 | EuroBasket 2011 qualification | 8 | 28.6 | .476 | .000 | .676 | 7.5 | 1.8 | .9 | .5 | 15.8 |
| 2011 | EuroBasket 2011 | 5 | 25.8 | .472 | .000 | .857 | 4.4 | .6 | 1.0 | .6 | 13.6 |
| 2013 | EuroBasket 2013 qualification | 5 | 29.6 | .574 | .000 | .657 | 7.6 | 1.0 | .8 | .2 | 18.6 |
| 2015 | EuroBasket 2015 qualification | 6 | 32.5 | .466 | .000 | .725 | 7.8 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .7 | 17.5 |
| 2015 | EuroBasket 2015 | 6 | 26.7 | .474 | .000 | .844 | 6.3 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 13.5 |
| 2017 | EuroBasket 2017 qualification | 6 | 26.2 | .475 | .000 | .921 | 7.7 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .5 | 15.2 |
| 2017 | EuroBasket 2017 | 5 | 26.1 | .447 | .000 | .758 | 9.2 | 1.6 | .8 | .2 | 13.4 |
More to Explore
- List of European basketball players in the United States
See also
In Spanish: Zaza Pachulia para niños
