Gregg Popovich Likes 'Everything' About Newest Spurs Big Man Sandro Mamukelashvili

Sandro Mamukelashvili has made an impact on the San Antonio Spurs in his brief time with the team.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 25, 2023

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich have a history of developing European talents, and that's possibly part of the reason why the team signed Sandro Mamukelashvili earlier this month after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.

"He's European, which makes me love him right off the bat because I think those guys are unbelievably well-coached and overall understand the game better than most of us here," Popovich said.

Mamukelashvili, 23, was born in New York City but grew up in Tbilisi, Georgia. When he was 14, Mamukelashvili moved to Italy and grew in the youth club scene before transferring ahead of his high school senior season to Montverde Academy in Florida.

From there, Mamukelashvili committed to Seton Hall and played all four years there. He went from virtual benchwarmer to a starter averaging 17.5 points per game by his senior season. Given his seasoning at Seton Hall, his 6-10 frame and ability to shoot from distance, it was enough to be drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 54 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

The Pacers traded his draft rights to the Bucks, a team that has also built a reputation in developing European talent with Giannis Antetokounmpo and is coached by Mike Budenholzer, a former Spurs assistant.

The Bucks' depth was unable to award him much opportunity in Milwaukee, but now he's making the most of his new home with the Spurs.

"He moves without the ball. He shoots it pretty well. He can pass. He's got good speed. I like everything about him," Popovich said.

In the final handful of games for the Spurs, Mamukelashvili's development is a key storyline in whether San Antonio will bring him back for next season and beyond.

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Published Mar 25, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.