Nikoloz Tskitishvili to help Georgian team before signing contract with Seattle-Super-Sonics
The Georgian basketball team is set to start its European championship qualification round on September 3 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Coach Gordon Herbert’s team will host Luxemburg. The Canadian coach named his squad a month ago and held several friendly matches. Compared to last year’s qualification round, this year the Georgian team has no injured players. Only Nikoloz Tskitishvili had not taken part in recent matches. It took Nikoloz Tskitishvili, a full member of the main squad, quite long to form a club contract. Due to this, the issue of his playing in the European championship match was under question, however, now everything is settled and “Nika” is in Tbilisi preparing together with the rest of the team.
GT: You spent a lot of time in finding a new team. Which team did you finally sign contract with?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: Yes, it took me a lot of time indeed. My term with the Phoenix Suns expired, so I was left without a contract. I started searching for a new team. I had several proposals and I was thinking of choosing the best one. Now everything is cleared and finally I chose the Seattle Super-Sonics. So, I found my future team and headed directly to Georgia.
GT: Have you already officially signed a contract with Seattle?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: No, officially not yet, but the agreement is made and nothing will change. I will go to Seattle after the Georgian team matches and will sign the contract then.
GT: What will be the term of the contract?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: This will also be decided after returning to America. Presumably, one-year contract, maybe one year plus.
GT: If it is not a secret, what is the financial side of the contract?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: To tell you the truth, I did not pay that much attention to that side while looking for a new team. I will have almost the same salary that I had before.
GT: Which other teams were proposing to you?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: New Orleans, San Antonio and Miami. There were several other variants, but the best of them was the Seattle Super-Sonics.
GT: Another Georgian, Vladimir Stepania, used to play in Seattle. Did you seek his advice before making your decision?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: No, I did not ask him. But I know how they love Stepania in Seattle and how successful his career was. This was one of the motivating reasons for me to agree to a move to that team.
GT: Have you not thought of moving to a European team?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: The most important for me is guaranteed playing time, and in case of moving to a European team I wouldn’t have problems with that. But they also promised me in Seattle that I will have no problems in that respect.
GT: With the Seattle Super-Sonics, you will play together with Ray Allen...
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: Ray Allen is one of the best NBA players and playing together with him must be great pleasure. And generally, having a star in the team is an additional stimulus for other team members.
GT: Let’s talk about the Georgian team now. Last year the team could not manage to move up from B to A division. Do you have better chances now?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: In my opinion, we now have a better team. The only drawback is the absence of Shemond Williams. He left the national team and was replaced by American Tyron Ellis. Besides Ellis, we have Vakhtang Natsvlishvili, Manuchar Markoishvili and Victor Sanikidze. These basketball players are of great influence to the Georgian team, and they were not with us last year because of injuries. In this round, we just need one more victory to reach Division A. This year we must achieve our goal, by all means!
GT: If it is not a secret, what is the financial side of the contract?
Nikoloz Tskitishvili: To tell you the truth, I did not pay that much attention to that side while looking for a new team. I will have almost the same salary that I had before.
Yea right he didn't pay attention to the money side.
The minimum is the minimum.
I think the whole interview is B.S. Seattle hasn't signed him or guaranteed him playing time, etc as he indicates. I don't even know if he's invited to their training camp.
Damn, I love your sources and info refutes.
Yeah, if the most important thing was playing time he's be playing for the Vermont Frost Heaves or the Mexicali Centinelas.
Well this article came out about 10 days ago IIRC and at the time, I had a Seattle reporter ask Sonics management about promising Skita playing time etc. and the Sonics laughed at thought. They might end up having him in camp (and maybe he'll make the team), but he is acting like he'll be a regular rotation player or something.
Anyway, he probably just named San Antonio and Miami to act cool.
After he was cut by the Suns this summer, he was picked up by Portland and then waived 3 days later because he wanted guaranteed contract/playing time.
Skiti should have stopped crying about his playing time in Minnesota last year and toughed it out. In lieu of the Wolves startling lack of depth in the frontcourt, he might have seen some regular minutes in their rotation this season.
Not that I view that as a good thing.
Not that it matters, but the interview is from 8/31/06.
Wait...reporters can ask questions to confirm people's stories?
You do it the right way, Kori.
I already knew he was delusional when he mentioned that another former Sonic, Vladimir Stepania, had a successful NBA career.
That's another thing that I laughed about when I first saw the article.
Anyway, he might end up in Sonics camp. I just don't think he's guaranteed ... and I think he probably just named the Spurs and Heat because that's what most players do in free agency.
Pretty much every player that hasn't signed anywhere always names two of the four -- Heat, Spurs, Suns, Mavs.
Vladimir Stepania's Career Stats
PTS 4.1
REBS 4.4
ASTS .3
STLS .4
BLKS .5
Played 6 seasons.
Successful career?
You forgot the .425 lifetime FG% and his lifetime FT% of .536
I compare 7 footers to left-handed pitchers. Since both are rare, they're always in demand, regardless of talent.
isnt this old news? his a busts anyway
Come on, I knew he was full of crap when he said Seattle was the best team to offer.
Miami and SA offered, but Seattle is the best?
Just a quick update about Georgia since Sanikidze played with them.
They finish the first leg of the compe ion with a 3-1 record and the second leg will be play in one year (if I have well understood).
Sanikidze stats are 4.3pts/4.8rbds in 19 min
Tskitishvili stats are 7.3pts/5.3rbds in 13.5 min
Pachulia stats are 22pts/9.3rbds in 30 min
Another funny thing to notice is that Georgia's coach is Gordon Herbert who is too Pau's coach. BTW, Pau has lost tonight the first game of the season against Le Havre (Mahinmi's former team) with horrible performances of Mahinmi and Briton Johnsen.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
