Illinois Basketball: Giorgi Bezhanishvili playing well for Grand Rapids Gold

Illinois basketball actually has some former players competing at the professional level in the United States.

For the most part, former Illini players have traveled overseas to play professionally for the past few decades. There have been a few that have stuck in the pro ranks over here, though.

Nick Anderson had a good NBA run for the Orlando Magic. Deron Williams was a star for the Utah Jazz. Meyers Leonard was a solid reserve for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ayo Dosunmu has been the most recent Illinois player to see time in the NBA. He is playing well for the Chicago Bulls. But he isn’t the only former Illini talent trying to make a name for himself at the pro level.

Former Illinois basketball big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili is working his way up the ranks.

I wasn’t surprised this past offseason when Ayo Dosunmu departed the program a year early. He was ready to take his talents to the NBA. But I was shocked when Giorgi Bezhanishvili decided to leave the Illini.

The rumors at first were that Giorgi was heading back overseas to play in Georgia and to see his family. Well, those plans quickly changed and the big man stayed in the states.

Giorgi got a chance to display his skills for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Summer League. His play enabled him to get an Exhibit 10 contract which enabled the Nuggets to retain his G-League rights if they don’t keep him on the NBA roster.

When the summer league was finished, Giorgi didn’t make the Nuggets team, but they did send him down to their G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

With the Gold, Giorgi has played well through four games this season. He is averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while getting 12 minutes of action in each contest. He is also creating some highlights with a big dunk the other night.

The fact Giorgi is actually on a professional team in the United States is impressive. He was a backup his final season at Illinois and someone who only played roughly 12 minutes in each contest. Now he is sticking in the G-League and doing some good work

I can’t wait to see how Giorgi’s career develops. His personality is something any franchise would love to have, and he isn’t bad at the game of basketball either.