SAN ANTONIO — Sandro Mamukelashvili came to the Spurs in the middle of the season, and has already made quite an impact.
The skilled big man who started his career in Milwaukee popped in 11 points in the fourth quarter of a win against the Denver Nuggets, and his talent and effort level have won him a lot of fans in San Antonio.
The 23-year-old was gracious enough to sit down with me at the Spurs' practice facility for a wide-ranging conversation about the fans, his game, playing for Pop, and much more. He's Georgian, but his Italian is much better than mine.
Tom: Sandro, thank you very much for sitting down with me. Before we get started, can you just say your name so everybody at home pronounces it correctly?
Sandro: Sandro Mah-moo-keh-lah-shvee-lee. Simple! Just two at a time.
Tom: Yeah, it's not that hard. Not even that hard to spell, just gotta sound it out. I mentioned the fans, You're already becoming a bit of a fan favorite here. Saw some people calling you Mamu Ginobli and I don't think they're kidding with some of the passes you throw.
Sandro, laughing: That's fire.
Tom: What's it like to feel that love in a new city?
Sandro: It feels amazing. You know, coming in here, I was very excited for the opportunity, super happy. I knew culture was so big in this city, on the team it's so cultural. Coming into the gym every day, seeing those banners, I just want to play hard and be a part of something big. Playing with the guys they're so great. So positive, helpful, coaching staff, and I feel like them trusting me just makes me want to play hard and give it my best.
Tom: I think the people who were most excited about this other than Spurs fans are Bucks fans who really liked you in your time there, and they're excited to see you get an opportunity here because playing for a team like that that's contending for a title is a little different than here right now. How valuable is it for you to get these minutes to learn and grow and show what you've got?
Sandro: So first of all, Bucks is an amazing organization as well, they're competing for a championship, a really veteran heavy team. So my two years there I felt like I learned so much about professionalism, and how to be early, how to take care of my body and stuff. But, you know, at some point, it was so tough to play and get into rhythm and just establish myself. When I was coming down here and seeing them supporting me and being there for me, and the fans have been happy for me that I'm in an organization where I'll get a chance, it meant a lot to me. I really went to the Bucks games with the same mentality to be the best teammate, give 110% every night and just be there for my teammates and do whatever was necessary for me. Coming down here and just getting the chance to play, as a young kid you dream about playing in the NBA and the last two years I didn't get that many chances, so I feel like every time I hear Coach Pop or somebody call my name to go in there, I fly in there. It's just an unbelievable feeling wearing a Spurs jersey. I feel like they were excited, but I was more excited to be here.
Tom: You seem like one of those guys who embodies 'stay ready so you don't have to get ready.'
Sandro: 100%
Tom: You saw it in the Denver game where you sit the first three quarters and Pops says 'Sandro get in there' and you're going against the guy who's going to be the three time MVP and help win that game. What was that like as a welcome to San Antonio moment?
Sandro: I did come to the gym very, very early that day stayed ready the whole time. I knew that everybody was playing, so you don't know how everything's gonna go, if you will play or not. But as you said, stay ready so you don't have to get ready. So I sat there for three quarters and I'm telling myself if they put me in there, I'll just go and compete. And I feel like one thing: if you compete, play hard, play with your teammates, enjoy the game, everything else is gonna fall into place and the Basketball Gods are gonna look out for you. So just going in there, at the end of the day you also want to prove yourself against Nikola. (Potential) three-time MVP and you don't want to go in and be afraid to shoot or be afraid to make a decision. So just going in there like I said, I was so blessed just to be in the game... every time I'm in there it's like I'm dreaming and I just want to do my best. So it felt great. I came in, stayed ready and everything worked out.
Tom: You mentioned a couple things there about your game. Playing hard, last night I think you had like 16 boards. You can shoot the ball a little bit. You seem like one of those guards and a big man's body. Were you a point guard who had a big growth spurt? Were you a big man who learned those things along the way? How did that take shape?
Sandro: So growing up in Europe, I went to play at Pallacanestro Biella when I was 13 and our coach, my Georgian coaches as well as Italian coach Federico Donna, he did not have a position for me. He was always telling me, you've just got to play every position. You're so versatile, you can handle the ball and I feel like I grew up playing point guard. When I was young playing in Georgia used to play point guard and bring the ball up, and I used to watch a lot of Allen Iverson clips and try to imitate him. When I went to Italy they told me, "'You can do everything, so why don't you utilize it to your advantage. If you can rebound and push the ball, push it and make a play, and if you're open shoot it." I feel like when coach doesn't put you in a box, it is so much easier just to play your game and enjoy the game. So I feel like I worked on my handles worked on like just being more mobile, fast and kind of making quick decisions and I feel like slowly, when you get better the things you're working on get better as well. So now I just tried to find my role, but also I'm trying to use those components, what I grew up on and kind of mix it all together.
Tom: I asked Pop about you last night and he said that you're a good basketball player. Used that term like all-around. What's it like hearing that from somebody as legendary as Pop? And what does it mean to have his support as you're getting your shot here?
Sandro: It's unbelievable. I grew up a Pop fan you know? He's one of the basketball geniuses, such a big coach and such an unbelievable human being. You always heard about Pop and how he coached his team and how disciplined, he likes discipline, playing guys who will play hard. He hung banners here and never changed, he was always the same guy who just was so respected. Him saying stuff about me or him being my coach is already like a dream come true. But also him kind of saying I'm a good player just means a lot. That means I'm on the right path, and if I keep working and improving I can have a really good career, so him giving me high praise means the world to me and I'll just keep keep building on it and hopefully keep making him proud.
Tom: You've clearly got that work ethic, and correct me if I'm wrong, but you wear 54 to remind yourself where you got drafted. Where does that work ethic that humility come from?
Sandro: I'm from the really small country of Georgia. Not a lot of people make it out. We only had I think six or seven NBA players (Mamukelashvili is the eighth). Being from that small country, I have a chip on my shoulder every single day. I come out here and I'm trying to prove to everybody that even though we're a small country, we work hard and we want this more than anybody else in this world. Just trying to represent my country the right way, my family the right way, the Spurs the right way, the organization. Basketball means the world to me, that's who I am, that's how I got here by working hard, staying in the gym. It's so competitive. If I'm not at the gym, somebody else is. So just always have that mentality that if I'm at the gym, as I said, Basketball Gods are gonna look out for me. I just stay in here, even if I come in here to not shoot, maybe I go do a cold tub or stretch or lift, just trying to be here as much as possible.
Tom: I wanted to ask you about Georgia because like you said small country, about 4 million people.
Sandro: Three, three and a half.
Tom: I remember one year when the Warriors were on that run and Zaza. Pachulia was almost being voted into the All-Star Game. People were like, 'Oh man, these crazy Warriors fans,' but it was actually people in Georgia. So what's the basketball culture like there, and what's it like now being one of the few NBA players from your home country?
Sandro: The basketball is getting really big. I feel like growing up I was a soccer guy, and everybody was. We would always play soccer and sometimes basketball or go play HORSE or something. But I feel like, over the years, I saw so much growth in basketball and I feel like that's because of how patriotic Georgian people are. They saw Zaza and what he was doing and got on that hype train and we all wanted to get into the All-Star. I would wake up every morning and I would tweet NBA vote Zaza Pachulia, I would do it like three or four times a day. so I could just see him there.
For us every little step, every little success is a big, big one for our country. So seeing him in the top five of All-Star voting was like our way of saying, 'We got your back and we're gonna do whatever it takes to show how together we stand.' I feel like Zaza did a lot for Georgia basketball. He has his own academy there and helps a lot of guys, but I want to be on the same path, I want to help the younger generation and show them everything's possible.
Tom: You're already way more popular here in San Antonio for reasons I'm sure you're familiar with. But, okay. I've noticed that you have tattoos on the left side of your body, not on the right. Do you do remember why Swaggy P Nick Young said he didn't have tattoos on his right arm?
Sandro: Because he was shooting right?
Tom: Yep, right arm strictly for buckets. But you're a lefty, so what's the deal with that?
Sandro: I feel like I'm a lefty. So there are a couple of reasons. First reason is my family is not really fans of tattoos.
Tom: So you talk to mom like this?
Sandro, laughing and switching shoulders: I say 'hey mom' and then I go out like this. The first reason is as family guy, I love my family, I don't want to overstep. People will say you've already overstepped your boundaries, you've got half a body done.
Tom: You've got a lot.
Sandro: I feel like we came to this like, happy medium where like, okay, you can have the left side but you can't have the right side and so I was cool with it. But also as you said, like basketball wise, this is my basketball side. This is my regular side. So I'm a Gemini and you know how it is, two Sandros in one body. That's that's how I look at it.
Tom: I love it. Now, I was watching you play, and I know you're from Georgia, but that first Nuggets game I'm watching you play and I'm like, 'This guy's Italian. I can tell deep in my bones, this guy's an Italian man deep down.' And you actually did, you mentioned it, you went to high school and played in Italy. How's your Italian? Internet says you're fluent.
Sandro: It's great.
Tom: I come from an Italian family. But the language... the music comes to me but the meaning of the words not so much. (In Italian) My family is Italian, but I don't speak the language well. With the help of Google Translate, I'll try to ask you some questions in Italian.
Sandro: Va bene.
Tom: Com'è stato per te andare al liceo in Italia? (What was it like for you going to high school in Italy?)
Sandro: It was great. Italian schools-
Tom: Answer in Italian man! I'm putting you on the spot. Little rusty?
Sandro, laughing: A little rusty, but I got you. (In Italian) Italian school was very difficult for me because when I was going there, for six months I couldn't speak italian. I couldn't understand anything . After six months I learned to speak a little bit and it got easier, but I think Italian school was very difficult. For the first season it was very difficult.
Tom: What is your favorite Italian food?
Sandro: I think lasagna. One of my trainers, his name was Wisp, his wife always made a beautiful lasagna. I remember I would go to their house and eat lasagna, that's my favorite.
Tom: I just made some last week, next time I make sauce I'll bring you some.
Sandro: Say less!
Tom: Sandro thank you so much this was great, appreciate you. Best of luck for the rest of the season and beyond.
Sandro: Thank you, for sure! Thank you so much.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.