TBLISI (Georgia) - Sandro Mamukelashvili, aka Mamu.
Georgia national team star and NBA player since 2021, when he joined the Milwaukee Bucks after four years at Seton Hall.
Five years on and Mamukelashvili finds himself in the bright lights of the City of Angels, wearing the Lakers purple, the Lakers gold and the Lakers black.
"Unbelievable," is one way he has described his move to Los Angeles.
Well, Mamu is clearly ready for L.A. But, is L.A. ready for Mamu?
For a player that got a Mamba Mentality tattoo on his left leg while at Seton Hall, this seems like a good fit.
Judging from the glowing assessment of his skillset offered by Austin Reaves, fans of one of America's most famous sporting institutions are going to like the Georgian.
"He's got such a high basketball IQ that if he gets the rebound, he should basically play the one, and it doesn't matter if I'm on the floor, it doesn't matter if Luka [Doncic] is on the floor," Reaves said to Yahoo said of Mamukelashvili.
"If he gets it and goes and has a good matchup, we trust whatever he has planned to do, so he'll be really good for us."
That is big time praise for Mamu, who is coming off his best season in the league, with Toronto, where he averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He averaged 21.9 minutes per contest in a career high 80 appearances.
In his Lakers debut, Mamu scored 5 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists in a big win over the Warriors.
Maybe a good nickname would be Jack.
That's because he's a jack of all trades, someone that can help a team with his 3-point shooting one night, and his playmaking another.
This is going to be a fun season watching Mamu in L.A.
Lakers jersey sales are sure to go up in Tbilisi. Mamu is among the most popular players from Georgia.
He received a lot of attention when he went home this summer and played well in FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifier wins over Montenegro and Portugal.
In the 101-74 victory over Montenegro, he had 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. He had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a 98-90 triumph over Portugal, a team that had been sky high after its 95-89 win at Spain just a few days before.
The variety of stats illustrate Reaves' point that Mamu can do it all, that he is capable of ripping down the rebound and running the floor with the ball before scoring or setting up a teammate.
For Mamu, the national team isn't so much about what it can do for him, but what he can do for Georgia.
In episode 5 of "Through my scope - with Sandro Mamu", he says has different emotions because he's competing "in front of my friends, my family and people I love."
"Playing in front of them reminds me that even though we are representing such a small country, the bond, the love and the strength that we have among each other is strong," he said. "And it's almost as if I'm representing my country for all of us."
Mamu's series on youtube is funny, but also serious.
It's a behind the scenes look at one of the best players in Europe, one that shone on the huge stage of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and then at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, where he helped his country upset France in the Round of 16.
THE GEORGIAN FANS ARE AMAZING. THE ENERGY THEY BRING IS CONTAGIOUS.
It's easy to see how Georgia fans are always in raptures when the national team plays. Mamu goes out of his way to speak to them and take photos. Every fan is important.
"The Georgian fans are amazing," he said in 'Through my Scope'.
"The energy they bring is contagious."
Mamu often reflects on his younger days, when he was a spectator and not a Georgia player.
"I remember the moment I was sitting in the stands dreaming about the moment I would get the opportunity to play for my country," he said.
"So I take being a role model to the younger generation very seriously and I want the to know that when you dream big, you work hard and you never give up, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to."
All eyes will still be on Slovenia international Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, as well as USA 2023 World Cup star Reaves.
But what Doncic had to say to EuroHoops, well, Mamu is going to move center stage with them. Doncic cited Mamu's "ability to handle the ball and to see the court... some of his passes, I think, are very underrated."
FIBA