As a boy growing up in the nation of Georgia, Zaza Pachulia honed his low-post moves on the dilapidated courts of a window-less gym. In the winter, with no heaters available, he wore hats and gloves during practice.
“We had just separated from the Soviet Union,” Pachulia recalled after a recent Warriors practice. “Life was miserable.”
It has been nearly two decades since Pachulia, 32, last lived in Georgia year-round. Still, his home country is his biggest source of motivation. Pachulia rebuffed far more lucrative offers in July to sign a one-year, $2.9 million deal with Golden State, in part for the chance to become the first Georgian-born player to win an NBA title.