Giorgi Bezhanishvili

Giorgi Bezhanishvili (born 16 November 1998) is an Austrian-Georgian professional basketball player for Satria Muda Bandung of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Early life Bezhanishvili was born in Rustavi, Georgia on 16 November 1998. In 2002, Bezhanishvili's mother Lali emigrated to Vienna, Austria by way of Prague, Czech Republic in search of work due to economic hardships in Georgia that resulted from the dissolution of the Soviet Union. As a result, when Bezhanishvili was 3 he and his older brother Davit moved in with their grandparents. As a child, Bezhanishvili's hobbies included basketball and dancing. At the age of 10, he placed second in classical dance in a national competition. In 2016, Bezhanishvili became a naturalized citizen of Austria. Bezhanishvili has learned to speak English, Georgian, German, and Russian. During the 2016–2017 season, Bezhanishvili played for the Klosterneuburg Dukes of the Austrian Basketball League and was teammates with former Lehigh player Michael Ojo.

Recruiting During his senior year of high school at The Patrick School, Bezhanishvili received a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois and committed to play college basketball for head coach Brad Underwood after his official visit on 26 March 2018. Bezhanishvili also had considered scholarship offers from Minnesota, Seton Hall, and St. Bonaventure. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Following the season, Bezhanishvili declared for the 2021 NBA draft.

Professional career Grand Rapids Gold (2021–2022) After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Bezhanishvili joined the Denver Nuggets for NBA Summer League play. On 13 September 2021, he signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nuggets. Bezhanishvili joined the Grand Rapids Gold as an affiliate player.

College Park Skyhawks (2022–2023) On 25 August 2022, Bezhanishvili was traded to the College Park Skyhawks.

Vancouver Bandits (2023) On 28 March 2023, Bezhanishvili signed with the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Formosa Dreamers (2023–2024) On 30 August 2023, Bezhanishvili signed with the Formosa Dreamers of the P. League+.

On 2 January 2024, Formosa Dreamers terminated contract with Bezhanishvili.

Iowa Wolves (2024) On 10 January 2024, Bezhanishvili joined the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League, but was waived on 9 February. On 22 February, he rejoined the Wolves.

Covirán Granada (2025) On 9 March 2025, Bezhanishvili signed with Covirán Granada of the Liga ACB.

Windy City Bulls (2025-2026) Bezhanishvili played the 2025–2026 season with the Windy City Bulls, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Chicago Bulls. He played in all 36 games, starting 29 of them, and finishing the season playing an average of 31.1 minutes, 13.8 points, and 7.3 rebounds per game.

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