Zaza Pachulia Quotes

You have to defend the perimeter guys otherwise you‘re going to struggle getting playing time or staying on the court.

Having your own bobblehead is kind of cool.

Losing my dad made me more mature. Being an only child, I didn’t have the right to act childish. I had to step up. I was earning money already in Turkey. I felt like I needed to protect the family and protect my mom and be a man.

That’s the reason why you work so hard all year long, to put yourself in a playoff situation.

I see myself in business. I’m good with numbers. It’s just something that interests me.

Education is such an important tool for success, and probably the most important one.

I’m not trying to be dirty. I’m out there to play basketball and not fight. But if it comes to the situation, one thing, know this, I’m never going to back down from anybody.

This game is not only about putting the ball in the basket. It’s the behavior, discipline, approach, preparation. Play with purpose and lead with purpose.

My approach to this game for 14 years that I’ve been in this league is to play hard and give my 100 percent, whatever I have.

It’s a challenge, and I like challenges. That’s how it’s been in my career since Day One.

When you are 6-11 and you play hard, you get blamed for a lot of things.

I’ve lived in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Dallas. I started in Orlando, so I’ve been north and south.

If you love this game, you always want to be out there, not in the sideline dressed in the street clothes. Especially when you know you can help the team.

It doesn’t matter what stage of your life you’re in, learning never stops. I’m a huge believer in that.

Be tough. As a big guy, it’s what your teammates expect from you, to be strong. Set good screens offensively and box out at the other end. It’s a simple technique. I learned it when I was little.

For me, not making the playoffs is a wasted season, a waste of time.

I just feel like being on the floor for more minutes allows me to give my presence.

It always great to feel that you’re wanted by somebody, especially when you’re talking about a team like the Golden State Warriors.

Everybody knows that Steph Curry changed the game. He’s such a great athlete, but that’s all we see on the TV, on the highlights on social media. I wish we could see what type of people they are more, because that’s the leadership to me, that’s the inspiration to me.

It’s definitely important to never forget where you’re coming from, where you were born and raised.

Words can’t describe how happy I’m feeling with the love I’m feeling from the fans, from the Mavs fans and my people in Georgia. They appreciate what I do.

You can’t please everybody, right? Some people are supporters. Some people are against you.

I think I have the best Twitter following, about 40,000. Many players have more, but I’m proud of all of them. They all have a special place in my heart.

When I tell people I played with Giannis they don’t remember it as much because I played with him in the first two years of his career, so he was not as flashy.

In every investment, before I get involved or invest, I always see what the mindset of the founder, the CEO, is.

My skin got thicker. I don’t listen to stuff from outside or even if I hear or if I read something, I just let it go very easily.

It’s different when you practice, obviously. That’s why exhibition games are a chance to see what you’re trying to do.

It wasn’t easy to leave the country. To make the decision to leave everything? I was born and raised with all my friends and family members. It was a huge step in my career. Now you’re committed to basketball.

The love of this game has been with me since I heard the word basketball itself.

Basketball is going to stop someday. But friendships are going to last forever. That’s something you can’t buy with money.

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.

My goal was like to play in the NBA. I didn’t want to leave my country, my people, my friends – even my school.

Since I started playing basketball, I had goals. I was going to do everything step by step. I’m proving it, my basketball is getting better.

Fans are fans. They’re the same everywhere. Not just NBA. It’s so easy for them to say something. And we are living in a world where people want to tear you down mentally.

I can’t worry about things that I can’t control. That’s the best approach, so I’ve been doing that.

All I can do is wake up in the morning and go to the practice facility with a smile on my face and experience something every single game.

I don’t think it’s right to think ahead to free agency.

I have a lot of respect for Kawhi.

Basketball is a team game. When you play 100 games in a season, you definitely need everyone to help out.

The little things are what get you to the next level. I believe in the little things. The screens you don’t see in the stats, the hockey assists. I’m a big believer in that.

Life is full of surprises. We’ve seen on the NBA court a lot of surprises. You never know what’s going to happen if we play smart, if we play hard, if we play together.

Basketball is a business to me. It’s entertainment; it’s a business, it’s very serious.

Especially when it comes to the Finals and playoffs, your team needs you mentally and physically.

I’m not a dirty player. I love this game, and I’m playing hard.

There’s a lot of hating on social media – and I’m not the only one, I’m 100 percent sure. Pick the best player possible – all-time or one who‘s playing today – everybody has something to say.