.jpg) Bitadze with theIndiana Pacers in 2022 | |
| No. 35 – Orlando Magic | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center /power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1999-07-20)20 July 1999 (age 26) Sagarejo, Georgia |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2019: 1st round, 18th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indiana Pacers |
| Playing career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2016 | VITA Tbilisi |
| 2016–2019 | Mega |
| 2016–2017 | →Smederevo |
| 2018–2019 | →Budućnost |
| 2019–2023 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2019–2021 | →Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2023–present | Orlando Magic |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Goga Bitadze (Georgian:გოგა ბითაძე; born 20 July 1999) is a Georgian professionalbasketball player for theOrlando Magic of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and 250 pounds (110 kg), he plays thecenter andpower forward positions.[1] He was drafted 18th overall by theIndiana Pacers in the2019 NBA draft.[2][3]
Born inSagarejo, Bitadze started playing basketball professionally withVITA Tbilisi in theVTB United League. In 2015, he moved to Serbian club Mega Basket and was loaned toSerbian League teamSmederevo 1953 in the following year. Upon his return to Mega in 2017–18, Bitadze was namedmost valuable player (MVP) of theJunior ABA League and became a key player for the senior team. At the end of 2018, he was loaned toBudućnost inMontenegro and was namedEuroLeague Rising Star for the 2018–19 season.
Bitadze is a member of theGeorgian national basketball team. He was named to the national team atEuroBasket 2017 and made his debut atFIBA World Cup qualifiers in 2017. Previously, Bitadze represented Georgia at the junior level inFIBA competition.
Bitadze was born inSagarejo, a town in easternGeorgia.[4] His father was a professional basketball player whose career was cut short by injury.[5] Although Bitadze did not watch basketball in his childhood, he started playing the game when he was six years old, because he saw himself as "active and tall."[4] As he became more involved in basketball, he began idolizing Georgian playersZaza Pachulia andTornike Shengelia, as well as NBA starsPau Gasol andShaquille O'Neal.[4][6] On 31 May 2013, Bitadze scored 17 points to help his school teamHyundai win the national under-14 championship over Gori.[7] He also played in the Georgian under-16 league for three years. In 2014–15, his final season with Hyundai at the under-16 level, Bitadze averaged 23.1 points, 16.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.8 blocks per game.[8] Through his early career, Bitadze trained in the junior ranks of Georgian clubVITA Tbilisi.[9]
In the 2015–16 season, Bitadze played professionally for VITA Tbilisi in theVTB United League.[10] He made his debut at age 16 and consequently became the youngest player in league history.[11] Through six games, Bitadze averaged 2.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game.[12]
On 2 December 2015, Bitadze signed withMega Basket of theBasketball League of Serbia (KLS) andABA League.[13] Bitadze was drawn to the club because it had produced many NBA players likeNikola Jokić andIvica Zubac, and he thought the Serbian league was "well run."[4][14] He described the move, "It was hard for me for a couple of months. I was really frustrated, far away from my family and far away from my friends. It was hard, but then slowly I got used to it... you have to sacrifice in order to achieve something big and get something even bigger."[15] In December 2015, Bitadze averaged 7.8 points and 4 rebounds per game to help Mega's junior team win theTorneo Città di Roma and qualify for the2015–16 Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT).[10][16] In three games at the ANGT, he averaged 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.[17]
For the 2016–17 season, Bitadze wasloaned to Serbian clubSmederevo 1953, which competed in the KLS.[18] Through 19 games, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.[10] Bitadze debuted on 8 October 2016, recording 5 points and 4 rebounds in a 75–71 loss toBorac Čačak.[19] On 29 October versusNapredak Kruševac, he scored a season-high 18 points, a mark he would match three more times in the season.[20] Bitadze recorded his firstdouble-double on 1 April 2017 againstDunav Stari Banovci, with 18 points and 11 rebounds.[21] In addition, he assumed a leading role for the Mega Basket junior team at the2016–17 ANGT. Bitadze averaged 17.7 points per game and led the tournament with 10 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per contest, en route to making the All-Tournament Team.[22]
He returned to Mega entering the 2017–18 season and mainly played with the senior team.[10] Through 22 games in the ABA League, Bitadze averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and through 12 games in the KLS, he averaged 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.[23] He debuted on 1 October 2017, recording 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 95–88 win overCibona.[24] In January 2018, Bitadze briefly played for Mega's junior team and helped capture theJunior ABA League championship. After averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds in the final tournament, he was named league MVP and earned Ideal Five recognition.[25] On 20 January, Bitadze scored 23 points versusCedevita, his season-high mark in the ABA League.[26] He declared for the2018 NBA draft on 12 April and was considered a possible second-round pick.[27] Bitadze recorded 19 points and season bests of 15 rebounds and 6 blocks on 24 April, in a 92–90 loss toMladost Zemun in the KLS.[28] On 30 May, he had his best scoring effort of the season, posting 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in an 83–61 victory overVršac in KLS play.[29] Bitadze withdrew from the 2018 NBA draft on 11 June, less than two weeks from draft night.[30]
To start the 2018–19 season, he continued playing for Mega. In an exhibition game versusNCAA Division I teamKentucky on 11 August 2018, Bitadze suffered an injury towards the end of the first half and did not return.[31] On 30 September, in his ABA League season debut, he chipped in 24 points and 12 rebounds in an 80–79 win overIgokea.[32] On 30 October, two days after recording 26 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks againstMornar Bar, Bitadze was named monthly MVP in the ABA League.[33] In his following appearance on 3 November, he scored a season-high 28 points, shooting 10-of-11 from the field, while posting 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in an 81–74 loss toPartizan.[34] On 24 November, Bitadze scored 28 points again, leading his team to an 82–80 victory over Cibona.[35] Through 11 games for Mega, all of which were in the ABA League, he averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.[10]
On 20 December 2018, Bitadze was loaned to Montenegrin clubBudućnost, which at the time competed in top-tier continentalEuroLeague.[36] He joined the team for the remainder of the season.[37] Reflecting on the transition to his new club, Bitadze said, "It was not an easy situation, especially the first couple of days. I mean, it is still hard now to get used to things. But my teammates and coaches helped me."[15] In his first game for Budućnost, on 24 December, he recorded 12 points and 4 rebounds versusKrka in the ABA League.[38] Four days later, Bitadze made his EuroLeague debut, chipping in 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 93–88 loss toBayern Munich.[39] On 3 January 2019, he had another strong EuroLeague performance, posting 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks off the bench in a 111–94 defeat toOlimpia Milano.[40] Over 13 EuroLeague games, Bitadze averaged 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game and claimedEuroLeague Rising Star honors as the best under-22 player in the EuroLeague.[41] After Budućnost failed to qualify to the Playoffs of the EuroLeague, Bitadze returned to Mega for the rest of the season.[42]
On 20 April 2019, Bitadze declared for the2019 NBA draft, for which he was considered a possiblelottery pick.[43] On 19 June, during media availability for the draft, Bitadze appeared in aviral photo that showed him being ignored by reporters, who instead surroundedZion Williamson, the eventualfirst overall pick, in the background. A number of NBA players, includingDwyane Wade andDraymond Green, suggested he use the photo as motivation.[44][45] He was drafted by theIndiana Pacers with the 18th pick overall in the2019 NBA draft.[46] On 15 July 2019, the Pacers announced that they had signed Bitadze.[47] On 28 October 2019, Bitadze made his NBA debut, coming off the bench in a 110–99 loss to theCleveland Cavaliers with two points and a rebound.[48]
On 9 February 2023, Bitadze was waived by the Pacers after three-and-a-half seasons.[49]
On 13 February 2023, Bitadze signed with theOrlando Magic.[50] On 6 July 2024, he re-signed with the Magic.[51]
Bitadze played for theGeorgian national under-17 team at the 2015FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship Division B, averaging 14.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game en route to a fifth-place finish.[10] He had his best scoring display in the tournament on 13 August 2015, posting 24 points and 11 rebounds in an 80–66 loss to Sweden.[52] At the2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B, Bitadze averaged 11.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game for theGeorgian under-18 team.[53] On 6 August 2016, he recorded tournament-best marks of 23 points and 9 blocks while grabbing 13 rebounds in a 103–101 win over Bulgaria.[54] Bitadze returned to national team play in 2017, averaging 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game at theFIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B.[10]
Bitadze was first named to theGeorgian senior national team atEuroBasket 2017, but a calf ligament injury forced him to sit out of the entire competition. Regardless, he "learned a lot on and off the court" by observing his veteran teammates, includingZaza Pachulia andGiorgi Shermadini.[55] On 24 November 2017, Bitadze debuted for the senior national team versusGermany duringqualification for the2019 FIBA World Cup, scoring 4 points in 17 minutes.[55][56]AtEuroBasket 2025, Bitadze led Georgia in scoring in blocks as his team made it to the quarterfinals and defeated France in the Round of 16.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Indiana | 54 | 2 | 8.7 | .467 | .190 | .727 | 2.0 | .4 | .2 | .7 | 3.2 |
| 2020–21 | Indiana | 45 | 3 | 12.5 | .428 | .253 | .738 | 3.3 | .8 | .2 | 1.3 | 5.1 |
| 2021–22 | Indiana | 50 | 16 | 14.6 | .520 | .288 | .681 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .4 | .8 | 7.0 |
| 2022–23 | Indiana | 21 | 0 | 9.6 | .519 | .286 | .458 | 2.3 | .9 | .4 | .5 | 3.3 |
| Orlando | 17 | 1 | 15.0 | .575 | .167 | .667 | 5.2 | 1.2 | .4 | .9 | 5.8 | |
| 2023–24 | Orlando | 62 | 33 | 15.4 | .603 | .143 | .655 | 4.6 | 1.3 | .5 | 1.2 | 5.0 |
| 2024–25 | Orlando | 70 | 42 | 20.4 | .611 | .107 | .639 | 6.6 | 2.0 | .7 | 1.4 | 7.2 |
| Career | 319 | 97 | 14.4 | .541 | .230 | .662 | 4.1 | 1.2 | .4 | 1.1 | 5.4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Orlando | 2 | 0 | 4.9 | .000 | — | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 4.9 | .000 | — | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Budućnost | 13 | 4 | 24.2 | .548 | .313 | .714 | 6.4 | 1.2 | .5 | 2.3 | 12.1 | 16.3 |
| Career | 13 | 4 | 24.2 | .548 | .313 | .714 | 6.4 | 1.2 | .5 | 2.3 | 12.1 | 16.3 | |