Giorgi Bezhanishvili
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Bezhanishvili with Illinois in 2021 | |
| No. 35 – Satria Muda Bandung | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | IBL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 16 November 1998 |
| Nationality | Austrian / Georgian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | The Patrick School (Hillside, New Jersey) |
| College | Illinois (2018–2021) |
| NBA draft | 2021: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2014–present |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2016 | Basket Flames |
| 2016–2017 | Klosterneuburg Dukes |
| 2021–2022 | Grand Rapids Gold |
| 2022 | Guelph Nighthawks |
| 2022–2023 | College Park Skyhawks |
| 2023 | Vancouver Bandits |
| 2023–2024 | Formosa Dreamers |
| 2024 | Iowa Wolves |
| 2024–2025 | BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque |
| 2025 | Covirán Granada |
| 2025 | AEK Larnaca B.C. |
| 2025-2026 | Windy City Bulls |
| 2026-present | Satria Muda Bandung |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili (born 16 November 1998) is an Austrian-Georgian professional basketball player for Satria Muda Bandung of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Bezhanishvili was born in Rustavi, Georgia on 16 November 1998. In 2002, Bezhanishvili's mother Lali emigrated to Vienna, Austria by way of Prague, Czech Republic in search of work due to economic hardships in Georgia that resulted from the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As a result, when Bezhanishvili was 3 he and his older brother Davit moved in with their grandparents.[1] As a child, Bezhanishvili's hobbies included basketball and dancing. At the age of 10, he placed second in classical dance in a national competition.[1] When he was 14, Bezhanishvili moved to Vienna to be with his mother.[2] In 2016, Bezhanishvili became a naturalized citizen of Austria.[3] Bezhanishvili has learned to speak English, Georgian, German, and Russian.[1]
Youth career
After moving to Vienna, Bezhanishvili played in the youth system for the Basket Flames. From 2014 to 2016 he played for the men's senior Basket Flames team that competes in the 2. Österreichische Basketball Bundesliga which is the second tier of basketball in Austria.[4] During the 2016–2017 season, Bezhanishvili played for the Klosterneuburg Dukes of the Austrian Basketball League and was teammates with former Lehigh player Michael Ojo.[1] Ojo got Bezhanishvili connected with American basketball coaches which resulted in a scholarship to attend The Patrick School in Elizabeth, New Jersey.[1] With Klosterneuburg, Bezhanishvili averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists.[5]
Recruiting
During his senior year of high school at The Patrick School, Bezhanishvili received a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois and committed to play college basketball for head coach Brad Underwood after his official visit on 26 March 2018.[3][6] Bezhanishvili also had considered scholarship offers from Minnesota, Seton Hall, and St. Bonaventure.[6]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giorgi Bezhanishvili PF |
Rustavi, Georgia | The Patrick School (NJ) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Mar 26, 2018 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: (74) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
As a freshman, Bezhanishvili averaged 12.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting while averaging 5.2 rebounds per game. He set Illinois' freshman scoring record with 35 points against Rutgers. Bezhanishvili went through a slump midway through his sophomore season in which he shot 27 percent over nine games and came off the bench behind Kofi Cockburn.[7] He averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[8] As a junior, he averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Following the season, Bezhanishvili declared for the 2021 NBA draft.[9]
Professional career
Grand Rapids Gold (2021–2022)
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Bezhanishvili joined the Denver Nuggets for NBA Summer League play.[10] On 13 September 2021, he signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nuggets.[11] Bezhanishvili joined the Grand Rapids Gold as an affiliate player.[12]
College Park Skyhawks (2022–2023)
On 25 August 2022, Bezhanishvili was traded to the College Park Skyhawks.[13]
Vancouver Bandits (2023)
On 28 March 2023, Bezhanishvili signed with the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.[14]
Formosa Dreamers (2023–2024)
On 30 August 2023, Bezhanishvili signed with the Formosa Dreamers of the P. League+.[15]
On 2 January 2024, Formosa Dreamers terminated contract with Bezhanishvili.[16]
Iowa Wolves (2024)
On 10 January 2024, Bezhanishvili joined the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League,[17] but was waived on 9 February.[18] On 22 February, he rejoined the Wolves.[18]
BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque (2024–2025)
On 5 September 2024, Bezhanishvili signed with BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque of the LNB Élite.[19]
Covirán Granada (2025–present)
On 9 March 2025, Bezhanishvili signed with Covirán Granada of the Liga ACB.[20]