Zaza Pachulia

I always say I represent my family when I'm in my country, but I represent my big family, which is Georgia, when I'm outside of my country.

Basketball is a team game. When you play 100 games in a season, you definitely need everyone to help out.

I'm not trying to be dirty. I'm out there to play basketball and not fight. But if it comes to the situation, one thing, know this, I'm never going to back down from anybody.

You can't control yourself in a game while people are screaming at you, teammates, referees trying to get in the middle. So you end up doing things without thinking.

It's a special feeling when you play against your old team. I don't care how you left that team, in a good way or a bad way, you want to get the win.

Obviously you don't want to mess with an Achilles. That is for sure.

Losing my dad made me more mature. Being an only child, I didn't have the right to act childish. I had to step up. I was earning money already in Turkey. I felt like I needed to protect the family and protect my mom and be a man.

It wasn't easy to leave the country. To make the decision to leave everything? I was born and raised with all my friends and family members. It was a huge step in my career. Now you're committed to basketball.

The love of this game has been with me since I heard the word basketball itself.

Having your own bobblehead is kind of cool.

Especially when it comes to the Finals and playoffs, your team needs you mentally and physically.

It's tough when you don't know if you're going to play or when you're going to play. But keeping the consistency and keeping in shape is important.

I have a lot of responsibilities. Every move I make, on and off the court, I'm thinking about doing the right thing for my country. It's a small country, but I've said it before, we Georgians have a big heart, we all support each other in every way we can.

My approach to this game for 14 years that I've been in this league is to play hard and give my 100 percent, whatever I have.

I'm already the first Georgian to play in the Finals, but I also want to be the first to be part of an NBA title.

Of course money is important. Very important. Important to everybody. If I said it wasn't, I'd be lying. Especially because it's not like I've made hundreds of millions of dollars in my career.

I'm against the fighting. But sometimes when you're trying to help your team, trying to win the games, there are moments when you need to get a little aggressive.

It always great to feel that you're wanted by somebody, especially when you're talking about a team like the Golden State Warriors.

Be tough. As a big guy, it's what your teammates expect from you, to be strong. Set good screens offensively and box out at the other end. It's a simple technique. I learned it when I was little.

It's different when you practice, obviously. That's why exhibition games are a chance to see what you're trying to do.

I've lived in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Dallas. I started in Orlando, so I've been north and south.

I can't play without being aggressive.

I just feel like being on the floor for more minutes allows me to give my presence.

I am not the type of player who makes problems for the team.

We all know what my game is, to play hard. Not dirty, but play hard.

All I can do is wake up in the morning and go to the practice facility with a smile on my face and experience something every single game.

This game is not only about putting the ball in the basket. It's the behavior, discipline, approach, preparation. Play with purpose and lead with purpose.

You can't always have your way. Sometimes life is going to go a different direction. But you've got to learn how to adjust, and you've got to learn how to deal with it.

That's the reason why you work so hard all year long, to put yourself in a playoff situation.

Life is full of surprises. We've seen on the NBA court a lot of surprises. You never know what's going to happen if we play smart, if we play hard, if we play together.

That's a moment I will never forget in my life, never ever. It was the first time I made the playoffs. After we lost to the Celtics, I told myself, I never want to play a season without making the playoffs, because it was so much fun.

For me, not making the playoffs is a wasted season, a waste of time.

My goal was like to play in the NBA. I didn't want to leave my country, my people, my friends - even my school.

After the season I always go back to my country and try to make the kids happy. That's the best feeling for me, when I see those smiling faces on the kids and you know how excited they are.

It's definitely important to never forget where you're coming from, where you were born and raised.

My mom used to be a basketball player so I was really into it. Plus of course my height made it easier for me to decide what kind of sport I wanted to play, so at the age of nine I went to my first basketball practice.

Basketball is going to stop someday. But friendships are going to last forever. That's something you can't buy with money.

I really hope that a lot of Georgian players will get recognition, and I can help them get out, play in the European leagues and the NBA. Basketball is in our blood.

Officials called a foul; there's nothing you can do. A foul is a foul. If it was a hard foul, it was a hard foul. There is nothing you can do. So you just move on.

If you don't love your job, you can't maintain the discipline in playing that many years. It starts with the love, discipline and taking care of your body. Understanding the older you get, you have to pay attention to every single detail.

I know I'm not the first one or the last one. But still to play 1,000 NBA games is pretty remarkable and pretty cool.

I don't care about All-Star or the fame that comes with it, the recognition.

My skin got thicker. I don't listen to stuff from outside or even if I hear or if I read something, I just let it go very easily.

A little pain is no problem.

I love this game so much and enjoy being with the guys so much on the court.

If you love this game, you always want to be out there, not in the sideline dressed in the street clothes. Especially when you know you can help the team.

Booing is not going to affect you. It's not the worst thing I will hear. Boo. I've seen and heard worse things.

Having limited minutes is hard and it's not right to think about numbers. But in those minutes, you have to have a positive impact. That's the beauty of this game.

The little things are what get you to the next level. I believe in the little things. The screens you don't see in the stats, the hockey assists. I'm a big believer in that.

I've done it before, and I might do it whenever we need to as a big guy... I'll take it. A hard foul is part of the game, which is good.