After leading Georgia past Spain in their EuroBasket opener, Goga Bitadze reflected on the contrasts between NBA and FIBA play, his unwavering commitment to the national team, lessons from tough NBA years, and keeping an open door to Europe.
Fresh off Georgia’s stunning 83–69 win against Spain in their EuroBasket opener, Goga Bitadze cut the figure of a player stepping into both production and leadership.
Goga Bitadze
Goga Bitadze
Position: C
Age: 26
Height: 211 cm
Weight: 113 kg
Birth place: Georgia
As Georgia eyes its strongest continental run yet, Bitadze is openly embracing the challenge of balancing NBA pedigree with the demands of FIBA basketball.
Different games, different demands
Bitadze, now in his fifth NBA season after being drafted No. 18 overall in 2019, has experienced both the grind of an 82-game schedule and the intensity of short, high-stakes international tournaments.
“NBA is obviously, we’re trying to win games, but it’s a longer season and here you just play five, six games," he noted.
"All the focus is here and you’re giving all you’ve got on every single game, so it’s obviously a different game. It’s a different speed as well, a different physicality, but I left Europe when I was 19, I played here before and I’m familiar with the game,” the 26-year-old big man told reporters.
One game at a time
The upset over Spain immediately raised expectations that Georgia could contend for the top spot in Group A, but Bitadze was quick to temper talk of standings.
After Spain, Georgia will be taking on Italy and Greece, who squared off in the opening night. Those two outings can largely decide the team's placing in the group.
“You can finish in last place if you lose every game and if you’re not locked in and if you let this affect you," Bitadze warned.
"You never know, so we’ve got to lock in and our goal is to go every single game out there, putting our heart and soul on the floor. If we win, we win. If not, we know that we gave everything we had.”
Always choosing Georgia
Georgia / Schedule
Bitadze has never hesitated to put national duty first, even while navigating the demands of an NBA career.
“There’s no decision to make, to be honest. Every time I have a chance, I’m going to put this uniform on and just compete for my country. A lot of respect for the country, a lot of love, that’s where I came from," he said.
"There’s no choices to make, it’s super simple. Whenever I get a chance to play, I’m there.”
This consistency has made him a mainstay of Georgia’s rise, bridging his NBA development with national ambition.
Shaped by the NBA
Since arriving in Indiana as a teenager, Bitadze has leaned on tough years to build maturity and resilience.
"I was a kid when I got drafted, so I spent a lot of tough years in Indiana, and that just shaped me into who I’m becoming. It helped me get to a better human being, a better basketball player. And, yeah, I’m just keep making those steps.”
Now with Orlando, where he started 42 out of 70 games last season, he feels more comfortable in his role.
“Really good. Game tomorrow, and game day after tomorrow. So, that’s how it goes.”
While the NBA remains his present, Bitadze acknowledged he has not closed the door on a European return someday.
“I love European basketball. I think the NBA is a little bit different on a higher level, and we never know...If I come to Europe, you know, I will be really happy, but I’m happy in the NBA as well, I won’t lie," he revealed.
"So, whatever God wants, wherever he's going to take me, I’m going to go there and do what I can.”
Asked if EuroLeague offers had already come his way, he shrugged: “Oh, I don’t know, honestly. I do not know.”
No extra motivation needed
Bitadze’s draft-night photo — seated alone while Zion Williamson was mobbed by media — remains an iconic image of overlooked determination. But for him, it was never the source of fuel.
“Nothing at all, to be honest. I mean, we come from a small country, where everybody knows each other, and there’s already enough motivation.
Where I come from, with my family, how they raised me, I didn’t need no extra motivation, just a picture that looks sweet, I guess. So, nothing else.”
Even after carving out a spot with the Magic, Bitadze knows the NBA offers no guarantees. Even if he seems to have consolidated himself as a starter.
“It's always somebody's coming for your job," he stressed.
"There’s 60 players getting drafted every single year, so you’ve got to always try to be the starter, try to be the best version of yourself and help the team win. So, I don’t know if I have done that, but we'll see.”
Giorgos Kyriakidis
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