CONCORD — When Zaza Pachulia was his oldest son’s age, he had just started playing pro ball in the Turkish League.
He grew up as the Republic of Georgia declared its independence from the Soviet Union, a turbulent period in the nation’s history. He practiced in freezing gymnasiums with wooden rims, and there was no electricity in his family’s apartment.
Davit Pachulia, 16, has it much different in the leafy East Bay suburb of Lafayette. At away games, he hears fans chirping because of the name on the back of his jersey. They know he grew up watching his dad win back-to-back NBA championships with the Warriors.
Davit plays forward for De La Salle, jockeying for playing time on a roster flush with nine seniors. The sophomore takes the court — renovated last fall with a digital scoreboard that would rival small colleges — against fellow students who might be studying for their SATs or mapping out what a computer science degree might look like.
“It’s night and day,” Davit told this news organization last Tuesday after De La Salle’s 53-49 win over Dublin. “They grew up during the Soviet Union, they had no electricity. Everything was just dark. Not a good place to be.”
Pachulia, the 16-year NBA veteran, developed in the European club system. Through his sons, he’s learning how different the U.S. process is. There’s trial and error, lessons and adjustments.
Like any dad, Pachulia, 40, wants what’s best for his sons — Davit and the 15-year-old Saba. Their experiences just don’t resemble what he went through.
“That’s why I’m so grateful for basketball, because so many great things happen,” Pachulia said. “But most importantly as a parent, to give this kind of experience to your family and your loved ones — especially your kids — and they fall in love with this game, it’s such a proud moment.”
Discussion over the benefits and drawbacks of the two development cultures reached a fever pitch this summer. Three of the top six NBA draft picks, including the top two, were international players. Arguably the five best players in the league — Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama – were all born outside the U.S.
Young European players join clubs and often play professionally as teenagers against former NBA players and grown adults — like Pachulia did. The general consensus is European coaches emphasize more fundamentals and team basketball than their American counterparts. Some NBA coaches, like Milwaukee’s Doc Rivers, think European prospects are more prepared when they enter the league.
“Off-ball stuff just comes more naturally,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of European players. “Cutting, recognizing where to be on the floor, filling gaps. …The American player tends to be more ball-dominant. The American player tends to be more talented. Those things probably go hand-in-hand. We have more talent here, more individual ball skills than most guys in Europe. But the flip side of that is our guys may not have as much of a sense of the court.”
Young players practice less often in America than in Europe, instead playing in taxing AAU tournaments in addition to high school schedules. Davit and De La Salle played four games last week. Euroleague teams play just 34 regular-season games — roughly two per week — in the same timeframe as the NBA’s 82-game slate.
They also tend to specialize in one sport more often, compared to other parts of the world where many hoopers also play soccer.
The system has led to what Kobe Bryant once called “accidental basketball.” AAU coaches often emphasize individual skills. Pachulia thinks pressure from parents seems more endemic in the U.S. than in Europe. It’s more disciplined in Europe, Pachulia said, with families handing their children over to clubs to develop them. In America, it can be with “wild wild West,” Pachulia said.
“I think the U.S. needs a lot of help,” Pachulia said. “I think we all know that.”
When Pachulia was searching for a school for his sons, he valued both education and a basketball environment that would provide opportunities for Saba and Davit. He peppered coaches with questions. He considered it a huge responsibility to counsel his sons, but it’s new for him and he’s still learning.
“Are you going to be coached and pushed and challenged?” Pachulia said. “Are you going to get the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from mistakes?” Those are the things that really, really matter.”
Pachulia watches just about every game his sons play at De La Salle, sweating in the bleachers as if he were playing. Against Dublin, he sat in the front row with a strong section of family members, including his wife and mother. At halftime, he can’t go a minute without taking a selfie with a local kid.
Pachulia played only two seasons with the Warriors after spending most of his career in Atlanta. He didn’t finish his career with the Warriors, but settled his family in Lafayette after the Warriors offered him a role in the franchise. He and his wife, Tika, loved the Bay before after making so many memories on and off the court, and jumped at the opportunity.
When Pachulia was with the Warriors, Davit and Saba went to as many games as they could, often arriving two hours before tipoff to watch warmups.
Davit and Saba dream of joining their dad in the family business of pro ball. They have a ways to go. The stocky Davit is 6-foot-4 and awaiting his chance for a lead role. Saba, wiry and yet to fill out, is set for a big AAU season in the spring after limited minutes as a freshman on junior varsity.
“It’s definitely hard. Because all my boys, I see them going to different schools and they’re playing, they’re starting,” Davit said. “But I know next year, when all these seniors are gone, it’ll be my team. I’ll have to take the reins and lead the team.”
When Pachulia thinks his sons aren’t getting enough out of their team experience, he’ll coach them up. After one game last week, Pachulia didn’t think Davit played enough, so he took him to a gym for extra shots. Before Davit’s game against Dublin, he trained Saba.
“You can tell he wants the best for us,” Davit said. “Always providing us the best type of food, best type of weight training, all of that.”
He reminds both of his sons to strive to improve every day. Wasting days, no matter what continent they play on, can be costly. He knows they’ll be off to college – whether they play there or not – before long.
“They love it,” Pachulia said. “They love to work hard. My wife and I, we enjoy it. That’s the best thing, it gives us so much joy seeing them play. Nothing better.”
