OAKLAND – The Warriors are already favored to win the NBA Finals over the Cleveland Cavaliers, but according to center Zaza Pachulia, they also have an entire country of 3.7 million people unanimously behind them.
Pachulia, a native of the Republic of Georgia wedged between Russia, Turkey and the Black Sea, said his country is going gaga for the Warriors’ quest for the title, and added a sizable contingent of fans, friends and family will be making the long trip to Oracle Arena to witness Games 1 and 2 in person.
“They are already on their way,” Pachulia said. “It’s a crazy thing, a 17-hour trip. But for them, they don’t care. I’m sure you’ll be seeing some Georgian flags waving here during the games.”
Pachulia doesn’t know exactly how many people are coming from his country that’s 11 time zones away. Game 1 of Thursday’s finals will be starting at 5 a.m. in his native land.
“I kind of left it to my wife (Tina) to deal with it,” he said. “I don’t want any distractions, all my focus is on (Thursday’s) game. She’s in charge of who’s coming, where they’re staying, the tickets … honestly, I don’t know the details. I just told them that hopefully, after winning the championship, we can all celebrate together. But during the series, I had to say, `Sorry, but I have business to take care of.’ ”
Pachulia, 33, is in his 14th NBA season and has always had a passionate following in Georgia, which nearly voted him as a starter on the NBA All-Star team on a couple of occasions. But he added the Warriors were popular in his country before he joined them this season.
“I didn’t know the Warriors had that many fans back in Georgia, but thanks to Steph (Curry), Klay (Thompson) and Draymond (Green), they set the tone,” he said. “I think everybody from the president to the prime minister on down to the people, I think everybody’s looking forward to these Finals. It’s a special moment for Georgia, and hopefully, by winning the title, I’ll be the first Georgian to be in that situation. I’m already the first Georgian to play in the Finals, but I also want to be the first to be part of an NBA title.”
Pachulia said he feels he has a special obligation to play at his very best in the championship round because it’s as if he’s also playing for his country as well as the Warriors.
“I always say I represent my family when I’m in my country, but I represent my big family, which is Georgia, when I’m outside of my country,” he said. “I have a lot of responsibilities. Every move I make, on and off the court, I’m thinking about doing the right thing for my country. It’s a small country, but I’ve said it before, we Georgians have a big heart, we all support each other in every way we can.”
via NAIJA Society
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