Zaza Pachulia

Zaza Pachulia (Georgian: ზაზა ფაჩულია) born February 10, 1984 in Tbilisi, Georgia, is a Georgian professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.

Early athletic career

According to Zaza, he was born as Zaur Pachulia, which was is grandfather's name, but since his childhood he is known by the name Zaza and later he legally changed his name. His mother was also a professional basketball player in Georgia and once she played for the basketball team of the Soviet Union.

Pachulia was a very successful basketball player at a very early age in Georgia. Zaza was approximately 6 feet 8 inches (2.04 meters) at the age of 13. He was scouted and recruited by the Turkish professional team Ülkerspor when he was a teenager. He became a member of the national basketball team of Georgia at a young age and led his team as a center to beat other Eastern European rivals, such as Belarus and Bulgaria.

National Basketball Association

After distinguishing himself with Ülkerspor, Pachulia was drafted in the second round by Orlando Magic in 2003 NBA Draft. Zaza ended up spending the 2004-05 season with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks did not have a contract with Pachulia, because he was traded from the Charlotte Bobcats, where he was selected in the 2004 expansion draft. While with the Bucks, Pachulia averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game off the bench. After spending one season with the Bucks, the Atlanta Hawks became interested in him.

Pachulia signed a contract with the Hawksin the 2005 off-seasonand became the Hawks' 2005-2006 season became the starting center, when he averaged 11.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. "I am a real Georgian now" joked Pachulia when he signed a contract with the Georgia-based team.

Personal life

Off the court, Pachulia finds time for fans. According to Jon Cooper, “If ever there was a case of clothes make the man, it is Hawks center Zaza Pachulia.” Pachulia says, “When I’m dressed nicely and when I feel good, I play well and my day is going good.” His teammates also mention the fact that Zaza is well sophisticated in fashion. According to Salim Stoudamire, “The best dresser is probably Zaza. He’s always got the Armani suits, stuff like that, with the little shoes that point up in the air.”