Mamukelashvili expressed the desire to stay with the Spurs, play with Chris Paul, and shared stories about Gregg Popovich and Victor Wembanyama.
Like a significant number of international players, Sandro Mamukelashvili dedicates his summers to the national team. This year, the Georgian squad is striving to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for the first time in the nation’s history.
Georgia now competes in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia, with the first test coming against the hosts, Latvia. After losing the game pretty handily, the squad will have to bounce back against the Philippines.
Much like for other players, it’s once again a place to showcase his talent for Mamukelashvili. Two years ago, he made the best out of it, averaging 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds for 20.8 EFF in the EuroBasket 2022
The next season after the EuroBasket, he got traded in the middle of the season from the Milwaukee Bucks to the San Antonio Spurs, where he’s remained ever since.
“I feel like with Milwaukee, there was more of a learning curve going into the league,” Mamukelashvili told BasketNews. “It’s not easy when you’re playing behind Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Brook [Lopez], Bobby [Portis Jr.]. Not a lot of opportunities, you have to stay ready all the time.”
“I went to the Spurs, it’s a rebuilding team, they’re still trying to figure it out. We didn’t have Vic [Wembanyama] at the moment. There were more opportunities for me and I feel like Coach [Gregg] Pop did a great job just telling me to stay ready, stay prepared, and just cherish this moment,” the Georgian said. “You only get a few opportunities in the NBA, and if you don’t use it, you’re out. You just have to always stay ready, stay humble, and stay prepared when your time comes.”
After getting traded in 2023, Mamukelashvili averaged a solid 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Spurs. While this past season wasn’t as solid, the Georgian forward seems to have found his role within the team.
Playing for the legendary and already Hall of Famer coach Gregg Popovich has its perks. You are more likely to be yelled at. Also, you are more likely to learn valuable life lessons or experience something from a famous coach you haven’t before.
Popovich has unusual ways of teaching. Two years ago, DeMar DeRozan revealed that the team once watched a penguin documentary to learn about teamwork. It’s a common occurrence, Mamukelashvili said.
“I’ve experienced a lot of movies. He likes music a lot, so when we stretch he plays music, he tries to dance to it. Great dance moves,” Mamukelashvili laughed. “A lot of people don’t understand how in shape he is for his age. He just works out like crazy. A lot of great things. I listened to some podcasts.”
“If you’re at the restaurant, he definitely takes the bill 1,000,000%. I had that experience being at a restaurant with my friends and some of my close family. He took the bill, and I’m telling you – the bill was quite a lot. I was happy I got out of there not paying,” the Spurs forward smiled. “Great guy, great mentor, great coach. It’s a privilege to play for him.”
While Popovich is already in the Hall of Fame, the Spurs acquired a future Hall of Famer just a day before the interview, with Chris Paul joining the squad after getting waived by the Golden State Warriors.
When Chris Paul started his career in the NBA in 2005, Mamukelashvili was just 6 years old.
“You know, CP3! Legendary point guard you grew up watching,” Mamukelashvili got excited when asked about it. “He’s definitely going to come there and have that veteran presence, kind of put everybody in place, trying to dictate the offense. We’ll see how the free agency goes, but hopefully, I’ll have a chance to go out there and play with him.”
According to Keith Smith from Spotrac, Mamukelashvili received a qualifying offer from the Spurs just a few days ago. As the deadline for the offer passed, he became a restricted free agent, with San Antonio now having the ability to match any offer that the Georgian receives in free agency.
“We’ll see what happens with the free agency. I hope so,” Mamukelashvili said about staying with the Spurs. “I definitely love San Antonio, the fans, and especially the teammates – I’ve gotten so close to them and created a family bond.
As you know, it’s a business, so you never know what’s going to happen. I definitely hope to figure it out, so I can stay for another year if I can.”
The Spurs are now an organization built around Victor Wembanyama, his talent, his skillset, and his phenomenal physical attributes. The French big man received unprecedented attention before even getting drafted into the NBA. He now surprises fans with seemingly-otherworldly highlights every other month.
Knowing Wemby is only 20 years old, he has an extremely bright future ahead of him. Mamukelashvili lit up talking about his teammate.
“It’s crazy. Such a smart player. You can have all the skills in the world, you can have all the athleticism in the world, but if you’re not smart and your basketball IQ doesn’t allow it, you cannot use it. He’s so smart, he makes freakish stuff more freakier because he knows what he’s doing,” the Georgian said.
“Great, great guy on the court, off the court. Hard worker, always at the gym, always early, tries to stay in the gym as long as possible. I’ve seen some freaky stuff from him. The other day, we were playing pick-up at the Spurs facility when we had a mini-camp, and our guy drove when he was at the three-point line, and he blocked it somehow. I don’t know how he got there, but all I see is him blocking the shot,” Mamukelashvili laughed. “Definitely some crazy stuff.”
Being 2.24 meters (7’4) tall comes with a certain set of challenges in regards to durability. One of the primary concerns about Wembanyama was his ability to stay healthy, as very few NBA players of his size have managed to play consistently without getting into injury trouble.
“Very in-tune with his body, very, I’d say, flexible. He makes sure he gets his routine every day he comes in the gym,” Mamukelasvhiili said about the Frenchman.
While basketball is the main reason why six different teams arrived in Riga, Latvia, it’s been all about football in Georgia recently. Namely, the country’s national team participated in Euro 2024 for the first time ever. It all culminated in a win against Christiano Ronaldo-led Portugal to advance to the playoffs, sending Georgian fans into a frenzy.
Even though Georgia ultimately lost to Spain in the Round of 16, the footballers’ performance made the entire country proud.
“We watched every game together as a team, cheered for them. It’s an unbelievable feeling just to see your country play against Spain, advancing in the group, beating Portugal. Words can’t describe the feeling,” Mamukelashvili said.
“I’m honored to be Georgian, and I’m so grateful for those guys coming out there and giving us the best show possible. Shoutout to our goalkeeper [Giorgi] Mamardashvili,” the Spurs forward said. “They are unbelievable guys, sky’s the limit, and I can’t wait for what’s in front of them.”
