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Goga Bitadze
Goga Bitadze (Georgian: გოგა ბითაძე; born 20 July 1999) is a Georgian professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and 250 pounds (110 kg), he plays the center position. He was drafted 18th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2019 NBA draft.
Born in Sagarejo, Bitadze started playing basketball professionally with VITA Tbilisi in the VTB United League. In 2015, he moved to Serbian club Mega Basket and was loaned to Serbian League team Smederevo 1953 in the following year. Upon his return to Mega in 2017–18, Bitadze was named most valuable player (MVP) of the Junior ABA League and became a key player for the senior team. At the end of 2018, he was loaned to Budućnost in Montenegro and was named EuroLeague Rising Star for the 2018–19 season.
Bitadze is a member of the Georgian national basketball team. He was named to the national team at EuroBasket 2017 and made his debut at FIBA World Cup qualifiers in 2017. Previously, Bitadze represented Georgia at the junior level in FIBA competition.
Bitadze was born in Sagarejo, a town in eastern Georgia. His father was a professional basketball player whose career was cut short by injury. Although Bitadze did not watch basketball in his childhood, he started playing the game when he was six years old, because he saw himself as "active and tall." As he became more involved in basketball, he began idolizing Georgian players Zaza Pachulia and Tornike Shengelia, as well as NBA stars Pau Gasol and Shaquille O'Neal. On 31 May 2013, Bitadze scored 17 points to help his school team Hyundai win the national under-14 championship over Gori. He also played in the Georgian under-16 league for three years. In 2014–15, his final season with Hyundai at the under-16 level, Bitadze averaged 23.1 points, 16.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.8 blocks per game. Through his early career, Bitadze trained in the junior ranks of Georgian club VITA Tbilisi.
In the 2015–16 season, Bitadze played professionally for VITA Tbilisi in the VTB United League. He made his debut at age 16 and consequently became the youngest player in league history. Through six games, Bitadze averaged 2.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game.
On 2 December 2015, Bitadze signed with Mega Basket of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and ABA League. Bitadze was drawn to the club because it had produced many NBA players like Nikola Jokić and Ivica Zubac, and he thought the Serbian league was "well run." He described the move, "It was hard for me for a couple of months. I was really frustrated, far away from my family and far away from my friends. It was hard, but then slowly I got used to it... you have to sacrifice in order to achieve something big and get something even bigger." In December 2015, Bitadze averaged 7.8 points and 4 rebounds per game to help Mega's junior team win the Torneo Città di Roma and qualify for the 2015–16 Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT). In three games at the ANGT, he averaged 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
For the 2016–17 season, Bitadze was loaned to Serbian club Smederevo 1953, which competed in the KLS. Through 19 games, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Bitadze debuted on 8 October 2016, recording 5 points and 4 rebounds in a 75–71 loss to Borac Čačak. On 29 October versus Napredak Kruševac, he scored a season-high 18 points, a mark he would match three more times in the season. Bitadze recorded his first double-double on 1 April 2017 against Dunav Stari Banovci, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. In addition, he assumed a leading role for the Mega Basket junior team at the 2016–17 ANGT. Bitadze averaged 17.7 points per game and led the tournament with 10 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per contest, en route to making the All-Tournament Team.
He returned to Mega entering the 2017–18 season and mainly played with the senior team. Through 22 games in the ABA League, Bitadze averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and through 12 games in the KLS, he averaged 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He debuted on 1 October 2017, recording 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 95–88 win over Cibona. In January 2018, Bitadze briefly played for Mega's junior team and helped capture the Junior ABA League championship. After averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds in the final tournament, he was named league MVP and earned Ideal Five recognition. On 20 January, Bitadze scored 23 points versus Cedevita, his season-high mark in the ABA League. He declared for the 2018 NBA draft on 12 April and was considered a possible second-round pick. Bitadze recorded 19 points and season bests of 15 rebounds and 6 blocks on 24 April, in a 92–90 loss to Mladost Zemun in the KLS. On 30 May, he had his best scoring effort of the season, posting 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in an 83–61 victory over Vršac in KLS play. Bitadze withdrew from the 2018 NBA draft on 11 June, less than two weeks from draft night.
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Goga Bitadze
Goga Bitadze (Georgian: გოგა ბითაძე; born 20 July 1999) is a Georgian professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and 250 pounds (110 kg), he plays the center position. He was drafted 18th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2019 NBA draft.
Born in Sagarejo, Bitadze started playing basketball professionally with VITA Tbilisi in the VTB United League. In 2015, he moved to Serbian club Mega Basket and was loaned to Serbian League team Smederevo 1953 in the following year. Upon his return to Mega in 2017–18, Bitadze was named most valuable player (MVP) of the Junior ABA League and became a key player for the senior team. At the end of 2018, he was loaned to Budućnost in Montenegro and was named EuroLeague Rising Star for the 2018–19 season.
Bitadze is a member of the Georgian national basketball team. He was named to the national team at EuroBasket 2017 and made his debut at FIBA World Cup qualifiers in 2017. Previously, Bitadze represented Georgia at the junior level in FIBA competition.
Bitadze was born in Sagarejo, a town in eastern Georgia. His father was a professional basketball player whose career was cut short by injury. Although Bitadze did not watch basketball in his childhood, he started playing the game when he was six years old, because he saw himself as "active and tall." As he became more involved in basketball, he began idolizing Georgian players Zaza Pachulia and Tornike Shengelia, as well as NBA stars Pau Gasol and Shaquille O'Neal. On 31 May 2013, Bitadze scored 17 points to help his school team Hyundai win the national under-14 championship over Gori. He also played in the Georgian under-16 league for three years. In 2014–15, his final season with Hyundai at the under-16 level, Bitadze averaged 23.1 points, 16.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.8 blocks per game. Through his early career, Bitadze trained in the junior ranks of Georgian club VITA Tbilisi.
In the 2015–16 season, Bitadze played professionally for VITA Tbilisi in the VTB United League. He made his debut at age 16 and consequently became the youngest player in league history. Through six games, Bitadze averaged 2.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game.
On 2 December 2015, Bitadze signed with Mega Basket of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and ABA League. Bitadze was drawn to the club because it had produced many NBA players like Nikola Jokić and Ivica Zubac, and he thought the Serbian league was "well run." He described the move, "It was hard for me for a couple of months. I was really frustrated, far away from my family and far away from my friends. It was hard, but then slowly I got used to it... you have to sacrifice in order to achieve something big and get something even bigger." In December 2015, Bitadze averaged 7.8 points and 4 rebounds per game to help Mega's junior team win the Torneo Città di Roma and qualify for the 2015–16 Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT). In three games at the ANGT, he averaged 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
For the 2016–17 season, Bitadze was loaned to Serbian club Smederevo 1953, which competed in the KLS. Through 19 games, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Bitadze debuted on 8 October 2016, recording 5 points and 4 rebounds in a 75–71 loss to Borac Čačak. On 29 October versus Napredak Kruševac, he scored a season-high 18 points, a mark he would match three more times in the season. Bitadze recorded his first double-double on 1 April 2017 against Dunav Stari Banovci, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. In addition, he assumed a leading role for the Mega Basket junior team at the 2016–17 ANGT. Bitadze averaged 17.7 points per game and led the tournament with 10 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per contest, en route to making the All-Tournament Team.
He returned to Mega entering the 2017–18 season and mainly played with the senior team. Through 22 games in the ABA League, Bitadze averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and through 12 games in the KLS, he averaged 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He debuted on 1 October 2017, recording 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 95–88 win over Cibona. In January 2018, Bitadze briefly played for Mega's junior team and helped capture the Junior ABA League championship. After averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds in the final tournament, he was named league MVP and earned Ideal Five recognition. On 20 January, Bitadze scored 23 points versus Cedevita, his season-high mark in the ABA League. He declared for the 2018 NBA draft on 12 April and was considered a possible second-round pick. Bitadze recorded 19 points and season bests of 15 rebounds and 6 blocks on 24 April, in a 92–90 loss to Mladost Zemun in the KLS. On 30 May, he had his best scoring effort of the season, posting 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in an 83–61 victory over Vršac in KLS play. Bitadze withdrew from the 2018 NBA draft on 11 June, less than two weeks from draft night.
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