Vancouver Bandits Sign Giorgi Bezhanishvili for 2023 CEBL Season

LANGLEY, B.C., March 28, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that the club has signed power forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili for the club’s upcoming 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

A 6-foot-9 forward from Rustavi, GE, Bezhanishvili recently completed his second NBA G League season, suiting up in 31 games for the Atlanta Hawks’ affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. The talented big man started 11 games and averaged 23.6 minutes, 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 59.3 per cent shooting from field goal range. He erupted for a career-high 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a 12-rebound double-double winning performance on Feb. 6 over the Westchester Knicks.

Bezhanishvili previously played 31 games in 2021-22 for the Denver Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold.

"Last season was my first time playing in the CEBL and I was really impressed by the energy of the crowd and support of the fans when I came to Langley Events Centre. That type of passion is inspiring and I can’t wait to show the Vancouver Bandits’ fanbase the fire and tenacity that I will bring to each and every possession this upcoming season,” Bezhanishvili said.

The skilled Georgian played three seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Illinois from 2018-21 where he averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds on 50.7 per cent field goal shooting in 95 collegiate games played. In 2018-19, Bezhanishvili ranked fourth in both field goal (54.2) and effective field goal percentages (55.0) in the prestigious Big Ten Conference.

This summer will be Bezhanishvili’s second CEBL campaign after playing for the Calgary Surge (formerly known as the Guelph Nighthawks) in 2022. He averaged 15 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game on 53.2 per cent shooting from the field over seven regular season games.

Fans of BC’s professional basketball team will remember Bezhanishvili’s gritty performance in Guelph’s narrow 90-85 play-in game postseason victory over the Bandits on August 4, 2022. In nearly 27 minutes of action, he was a team-high +13, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and added 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

“Giorgi is a special player. The first time I saw him play I knew he was our kind of guy. Giorgi will have a tremendous opportunity to lead us with his versatility and passion and we can't wait to get to work with him,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius.

The Bandits tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. Fans will have their first chance to watch Bezhanishvili and company on home soil at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 3 when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to LEC.

Season tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase and can be accessed by clicking here. A full seat map, price chart breakdown, season schedule and a complete list of season ticket holder benefits can be found by clicking here.

A key highlight of Vancouver’s fifth CEBL campaign will be its hosting of Championship Weekend, which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13. An annual celebration of the highest level of Canadian professional basketball, Championship Weekend features a postseason format that combines three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience designed to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport. 

As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic semifinal berth.

Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email [email protected]. A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Vancouver Bandits

The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.