Sandro Mamukelashvili wants Georgia to win EuroBasket and watch a game with Nikos Galis / News - Basketnews.com

After a sensational NBA Summer League with the Milwaukee Bucks and two weeks before his first EuroBasket, Georgian sensation Sandro Mamukelashvili talks to BasketNews about his aspirations and opens up on his ties with Greek legend Nikos Galis.

Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports Credit David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

In September 2021, a historical meetup took place in the southern suburbs of Athens. In the coastal town of Vouliagmeni, Giannis Antetokounmpo had the chance to discuss and have dinner with Nikos Galis.

Sandro Mamukelashvili

Position:C, PFAge:25Height:209 cmWeight:110 kgBirth place:New York, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

It was a meeting that both figuratively and literally united the past and the present of Greek basketball. Galis, 64 at the time, never played in the NBA, but is the man who lays claim to have changed Greeks' relationship with the sport of basketball forever - and almost single-handedly.

On the other hand, Giannis, 27 last summer, paid his customary visit to his home country during the off season, but was by no means alone. The Greek Freak was carrying the NBA title that the Milwaukee Bucks had won that summer, while several former players, like Theodoros Papaloukas and Dimitris Papanikolaou, attended the meeting. Also in attendance were Antetokounmpo's family members, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer and some of Giannis' teammates in Milwaukee.

The Bucks' players and staff stayed in Greece for about a week and had the chance to get a good taste of the place where the team's superstar was raised, following his family's move from Nigeria.

Among them sat Sandro Mamukelashvili, a player who was drafted by the Pacers but traded to the Bucks that summer. Hailing from Georgia, but born in New York, the NBA rookie knew almost everything about the NBA Finals MVP and future teammate, but had little information on the other Greek legend whom Giannis called 'Mister Galis'.

"I've heard of him, but I didn't know he was that big. Shame on me, he's one of the greatest," Sandro Mamukelashvili tells BasketNews from Athens, where the Georgian national team is preparing ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers and the upcoming EuroBasket.

As a matter of fact, 'Mamu' should have known better, especially since Giannis "always talks about him," as he points out. But there are a few more links between the 23-year-old American-Georgian big man and the Greek Hall-of-Famer.

In 2021, Mamukelashili graduated from Seton Hall, the college from which Nikos Galis came out in the late 1970s before he moved to Greece. He was actually born in Union City, New Jersey, just seven miles from New York City, where the Bucks forward-center was born.

Credit Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In 1991, Galis was inducted to the Seton Hall Athletic Hall of Fame. In his senior (1978–79) season, he scored 27.5 points per game, which was third in the nation, behind Idaho State's Lawrence Butler (30.1 ppg) and Indiana State's Larry Bird (28.6 ppg). Galis' head coach at Seton Hall, Bill Raftery, would later state that the Greek guard was the best player he ever coached.

Mamukelashvili calls Galis "the best Greek player." That was probably how Giannis and the other Greek veterans described the prolific scorer to someone who was born almost five years after Galis had retired from professional basketball. After all, the OAKA arena - where the Acropolis Tournament featuring Greece, Georgia, Turkey and Poland- was named after the great player in 2016.

"He had dinner with us and they said he played for Seton Hall and that he's one of the greatest players to ever play in Greece. It was really amazing meeting him and talking to him," the Indiana Pacers pick in last year's Draft recalls.

Mamukelashvili averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 assists and 7.6 rebounds per contest in his senior year. His performances attracted the attention of NBA scouts and teams. He spent four years at Seton Hall, just like Nikos Galis had done four decades ago. However, that wasn't the case with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who never went to college nor did he play anywhere professionally before making the leap to the NBA.

"I tell him that he should have gone to Seton Hall because Galis went there too," 'Mamu' says. "Galis is unbelievable. Everybody loves him there and hopefully, we can go to a Seton Hall game together one day."

Mamukelashvili's real name is Alexander, but everyone's calling him Sandro. If that sounds as Italian as spaghetti, you're right. He did spend some time in Italy. When he was 14, he moved to Biella to attend high school, where he stayed until 2016. He was 17 when he joined the Montverde Academy in the USA, but his name had just started to be popular around Europe.

"I had a lot of European offers. Two EuroLeague offers, a couple of Serie A offers... But my family is really big on education. They wanted me to get a diploma and go to college."

Sandro says things in Italy were great for him, as he came to love the country and Biella "was one of the best clubs I've ever played for. I still talk to the coach and my teammates."

"But I feel like it was time for me to leave," he adds. "I wanted to go to the States, go to college and pursue my education and basketball there because I've always been a fan of college basketball."

After a rookie NBA season in which he played 41 games with Milwaukee, averaging 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds on 42.3% from distance over only 10 minutes, Sandro joined the Bucks' Summer League squad in Las Vegas. His presence in the tournament was a knockout, since the versatile big man averaged 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, which resulted in him being a first-team selection for the NBA All-Summer League squad.

Mamukelashvili showed that he's a player who can put the ball on the floor, play with the back to the basket and take advantage of his strength. He's also capable of attacking even in iso situations, has good finishes near the rim and plays with great intensity. Being left-handed can't hurt either.

"It was amazing. Coming in as a late second-round draft pick, I didn't expect that I would play that much. I feel like the Bucks gave me so much trust. They gave me my chance. There's a lot more to do, but so far I've proven and I've learned a lot," he explains.

Mamukelashvili is currently on a two-way contract with the Bucks and his performances this summer can increase his chances of getting a full roster spot as the offseason carries along. The Georgian-American athlete is hopeful that his excellent Summer League presence can raise his stock and change his role within the team.

"I really hope so. The Bucks are a championship team, striving to be great every year. All I can do is work hard and try to blend in with the other guys. I'll respect whatever the coach decides," he says.

Speaking of the coach, while in Athens for the Acropolis Tournament, Mamukelashvili met with Mike Budenholzer, who's been closely monitoring Greece NT and Giannis. Coach Bud praised his player for all the work he's putting in and provided some encouraging words ahead of the near future.

"He said he watched all Summer League games. He was there in two of them. He said I played brilliantly and thinks I'm a great NBA player. I should believe in that too," the Georgian international stresses.

Belief and self-confidence is what Budenholzer is all for, according to 'Mamu'. The 2021 NBA champ with Milwaukee hopes to see his young gun play his game and be relaxed.

"He's very excited to watch us play and he just can't wait for the upcoming season. He saw how much better I've gotten and he wants me to keep believing in myself," Mamukelashvili repeats.

The Seton Hall standout is optimistic that he can be the Bucks' breakout players next season. "That's the goal. I'm working hard as hell, trying to develop my game. I feel like the Bucks believe in me. So, I can be one of the players that can step out and show what they've got."

But Milwaukee Bucks' presence in Greece isn't limited to Budenholzer. The team's assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer has officially been named a member of the Greek national team staff. Also, Suki Hobson (Head of Strength and Conditioning), Brett Bousquet (physical therapist), Nick Monroe (Head of content), and Tony Bollier (Director of Basketball Operations) have all traveled to Greece to support Giannis and the Greek national team's effort.

Sandro is also having Bucks support, with Jack Herum from the player development side helping out.

"The Bucks are probably one of the best organizations in the league. As soon as they heard that I was going back to the national team, I talked with John Horst, the GM. They said Jack Herum will be the one coming with me to Georgia and he's doing an amazing job. We were working out twice a day," Mamukelashvili points out.

In a summer when some NBA teams didn't allow players to join their national teams, Mamukelashvili notes that they haven't told him much. "Just play the game and that they'll be cheering for me."

However, there's an NBA rule that players can't practice before August 4. That's something both Greece with Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Georgia with Sandro Mamukelashvili had to respect and observe.

Credit Georgian BF

Playing for Georgia is big for Sandro and now he's heading to his first major tournament with the country actually hosting the Group A of the tournament's group stage, which also features Montenegro, Spain, Bulgaria, Belgium, and Turkey.

"We are very excited to represent our country. I haven't really played in Europe that much since I was 15-16 years old," Mamukelashvili concedes.

"So, the game is a lot different. I'm trying to adjust because we're playing a different style of basketball than in the NBA. I'm trying to find my role, be the best version of myself and help the team win by playing unselfishly."

In the game against Turkey for the Acropolis Tournament premiere, the Bucks' big man had an impressive performance, racking up a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds in a Georgia's easy loss.

Credit InTime

"We know that Turkey is one of the best teams in our group. In the tournament, we'll see how well we can play, how prepared we are, what we have to change and how we can get better. Turkey will show us where we're standing," he comments.

The upcoming EuroBasket is a tournament featuring many NBA guys. "Everybody has great confidence and good teams," Sandro says.

"Giannis is one of the players who can make a huge impact. Turkey got Korkmaz, Osman and Sengun. All the guys know each other well because they've played together multiple times. At the end of the day, the winning team has the best chemistry," he argues.

Credit Georgian Basketball Federation

So far, Georgia's results in the prep games have been far from satisfactory, especially the two losses against Israel in Tbilisi. Against Turkey, the team coached by Greek tactician Ilias Zouros had a good first quarter, but ended up conceding 101 points. However, 'Mamu' is confident that his side can go all the way.

"Georgia win it, man," he laughs. "I really think we have a great team, a great group of guys. If we get on the same page, we're going to be very good."

In case Georgia doesn't make it? Well, you got that right. Sandro Mamukelashvili will go with Greece.

"I feel like Turkey is up there too, but I'm going with my Bucks teammates (Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo)."

Now that he has become familiar with Nikos Galis and his legacy, expect him to cheer for the Greeks well after Giannis and Thanasis will be retired.

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