Pachulia receives Order of Honor from native Republic of Georgia
I am very glad I had the opportunity to present #NBA Champion @zaza27 with the Order Of Honor! pic.twitter.com/2XnubetzWE
— President Of Georgia (@MargvelashviliG) August 7, 2017
Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia returned to his native Republic of Georgia on Sunday to receive the Order of Honor from the country's president.
President Giorgi Margverlashvili tweeted photos of the ceremony that took place in the capital city of Tbilisi – Pachulia is first Georgian-born player to win an NBA title in the league's history.
“This is a tremendous honor and I am humbled to accept it," Pachulia said in a team release. “I remember dreaming about playing professional basketball as a kid in the gyms of Tbilisi, and now, after a journey across continents that began when I was a teenager, I am coming home with the championship trophy. I am proud to represent Georgia and I am looking forward to celebrating with the people of my country this week.”
The 33-year-old also brought the Larry O'Brien Trophy along for fans to enjoy. After more than a decade of play in the NBA with five teams, this is Pachulia's first championship.