Giorgi Bezhanishvili came out of nowhere to become an absolute star and the fan favorite of the basketball team this season. Fans would have been thrilled if Girogi was able to play 20 minutes a game or so and not look absolutely lost before the season as the Illini frontcourt looked incredibly thin. Instead we got on of the best freshman seasons we’ve ever seen for a big man at Illinois.

But, this post isn’t about that. This is about what makes Giorgi, Giorgi. His amazing personality won over everyone. He’s always smiling and cracking jokes. He lives with pure joy and is such a delight. His personality is infectious and we’ve never seen anything quite like this.

I love him.

Below is a list of the best random/funny Giorgi moments.

Honorable Mention: CHEERIOS

BEHOLD. CEREAL.

Honorable Mention #2: Not know for sure how to say ‘Illini’ in his newcomer video

Adorable.

P.S. I also kinda like 45 as a number better, but oh well.

5. Dancing at Maui

This was the moment we first knew we had something truly special in Giorgi. Look at that.

He also didn’t win this contest if memory serve correct. I want a congressional panel about those judges.

4. His brother, Davit, trashing his free throw shooting

Give Davit an assistant spot.

3. His BTN Interview with Mike Hall

Seven minutes of pure gold. Including:

• “I first heard [get over the hump] when we won the game. I liked that term and I use it now.”
• “95% of the time I have a snack before bed. I live at the dorm, and we have a snack shop — it’s not a supermarket — and they have a lot of snacks there. I like sweet stuff, I get a snack before I go to sleep, it puts me in a good mood, I have a good dream after that, and then I wake up in a good mood so I have another good day. I live day by day. Every day is a good day.”
• Giorgi’s Walmart bike Lambo. “It’s still working. It surprised me because I’m over 240 pounds now, and to be on that bike. I’m riding that bike when it rains and snows, and a week ago, there was a big snow, and we have practice in the morning at 7. The roads weren’t cleaned yet, and I was driving my bike. Andres Feliz was driving with a car, and he saw me fall twice. I was laughing and having fun with it. Then Feliz was laughing, stopped the car, I got up, and it was a funny moment.

I will defend this man at all cost. Protect Giorgi.

2. Apologizing to Deon Thomas after breaking his freshman scoring record.

So humble. So nice. So Giorgi.

1. Cruising around campus in an S10

The expression on his face is priceless.

The reason this takes one is simple. This picture wouldn’t be close to being as funny as it is or as awesome of a moment on Twitter if this was any other player on the Illini. If we saw Trent Frazier riding in the bed of an S10, we’d chuckle for a bit and then quickly forgot.

But not with Giorgi.

The U of I police department even weighed in.

Bret Beherns just had to ask him about it to. Also RIP lambo.

Here’s to three more years of this absolute legend in Champaign.

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