Giorgi Bezhanishvili is still laughing, smiling and dancing three years after playing his last game for Illinois. The native of Georgia is on the Indiana Pacers 2024 NBA Summer League team, yet another stop on his basketball journey. Despite Bezhanishvili not playing in the Pacers’ first three Summer League games, The Daily Illini had a chance to catch up with the Illini fan favorite in Las Vegas to talk with him about his career since leaving Champaign.
The Daily Illini: After leaving Illinois, you’ve spent three years playing in the NBA G League for three different teams. How has that experience been for you?
Giorgi Bezhanishvili: I mean it’s definitely something different than college. The G League is a very tough environment where everybody wants to make it up, not only the players but the coaches, the referees, and you learn a lot. You learn the business of the game, you learn how complex it is and you grow basketball-wise. You know, it’s a different game, the travel is very hard, and everybody is worrying about themselves. So to play the right way and to play basketball is very hard in the G, and just figuring out your own path and trying to make it to the top. I’ve been having different challenges and different lessons, and I’m still going.
The DI: In your first season with the Grand Rapids Gold (2021-22), 19-year NBA veteran and NBA champion Jason Terry was your head coach. What was playing for him like?
Giorgi Bezhanishvili: It was an interesting experience. No knock on him, but he was not a great coach, he was a player obviously. It was a learning experience in many ways, but I learned a lot. I really like Jason Terry as a person, still love him. Yeah, it was an experience.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The DI: You’ve also gone to Canada to play in the CEBL a couple of times. How different is the Canadian league compared to the G League, and is it tough for you to not have continuity with the teams you are on year-by-year?
Bezhanishvili: It’s pretty tough. You gotta change locations, you gotta meet new people, but that’s part of the business. When you’re trying to grow as a player, get new opportunities, get better opportunities, it’s tough. Canada has been a great experience for me personally. I went out there to get more on the court, more playing time, more freedom. I feel like I’ve used it pretty well for myself. It’s different from the G but also similar at the same time. They have a target score ending which makes the game very different. The level is obviously a little bit lower, but it has worked greatly for me.
The DI: What are your plans for this season after Summer League? Are you planning on going back to the G League, or is overseas an option?
Bezhanishvili: I could not say right now. My agent is here right now, actually, I’m in talks with him. He’s in talks with different teams — teams from the States, teams from overseas. And then we’ll see what the best fit will be for myself and we’ll make the move.
The DI: After three years, do you still keep in touch with your Illinois teammates?
Bezhanishvili: Come on now. Three days ago I was on the phone with Kofi (Cockburn) for like 45 minutes to an hour. We were chatting about everything, talking, laughing. Him and his homies were watching the soccer game, Georgia was playing. They were watching, and they couldn’t pronounce the names of the players. So he called me, and we were just laughing and chatting up about it. But everybody though, through Instagram I keep in touch with everybody. I’ve seen Trent (Frazier) in Miami when I was out there in February, I’ve seen him randomly. But I keep in touch with everybody. I try to get together with them in person as well, but definitely keep in touch.
The DI: You and Coleman Hawkins only played together for one year in college, but how nice has it been to see him grow as a player since he was a freshman at Illinois with you?
Bezhanishvili: I’ve been very proud of him. He came as a freshman, very young guy, he was immature. He was very talented then too. But I’ve been loving to see him grow, amazing player obviously, hopefully see him in the League one day. Obviously he’s making great, great money. I wish nothing but luck to him.
@sahil_mittal24
