Why ex-Warriors big man Zaza Pachulia decided to join MLV NorCal ownership group

It’s noon on a Thursday. Zaza Pachulia already has trained his oldest teenage son in basketball. In a few hours, he’ll be back on the court training his younger son. After that, it’s a night at Chase Center for the Golden State Valkyries’ home game against the Indiana Fever. For the former Warriors center who won back-to-back NBA championships in his two seasons on the team, it’s a full day of basketball. In between, he’s talking about his newest venture in a different sport. Pachulia and his wife, Tika, recently joined the ownership group of Major League Volleyball’s newest team that will be based out of Northern California. The team will begin play in 2027. His love for volleyball began at home. While Pachulia’s sons play basketball, his two daughters, ages 8 and 13, have a love for volleyball. As Zaza and Tika dropped the girls off at their practice, they only saw the excitement for the sport grow. “Literally every single time I show up at a facility or practice, you see more and more kids, more and more girls, more and more parents,” Pachulia said to NBC Sports Bay Area on the latest episode of the “Dubs Talk” podcast. “… It’s insane what’s happening in the grassroots. You feel the energy. You feel the growth. It’s been exciting and super diverse. It’s a global sport. You talk to parents from all over the world.” Joining MLV NorCal’s ownership group was an easy and exciting decision for the Pachulias. They did their due diligence and had long brainstorming sessions. They even went to a San Diego Mojo game and loved the atmosphere. The new NorCal team is founded by Theresia Gouw (minor owner of the Buffalo Bills), Vivek Ranadivé (majority owner of the Sacramento Kings), and owner/co-general manager Kerri Walsh Jennings (volleyball legend). Along with the Pachulias, Brad and Andrea Hilsabeck (minority owners of the Dallas Wings) also were announced as new members to the ownership group. “When you talk to them and know what the vision is, know what the mission is – why volleyball – we’re all on the same page,” Pachulia said. “It was a super easy conversation, nice conversation. We showed the interest and desire to be part of the group and the journey, and we got lucky as well. They liked us. I don’t know why they liked us, but they liked us as well, so we decided to invest.” Warriors fans understand Pachulia’s likability. He was a favorite for his heart, hustle and personality as a two-time champion for the Warriors and made a long list of fans for his other teams too. His 16-year NBA career ended after the 2018-19 season, where he was a member of the Detroit Pistons, and Pachulia immediately went back to being a part of Dub Nation. The Warriors again had one of their favorite teammates on their side as Pachulia opened his eyes to the world of an NBA franchise outside of the court. He was called a consultant for two years starting in September of 2019 before his new role that better describes all the different ways Pachulia is part of the Warriors’ brand. Since October of 2021, Pachulia has been a Warriors Liaison for Business and Basketball. “Dalton, that’s a long title I have, but I love it that way,” Pachulia says. Throughout Pachulia’s first two years in retirement from playing, he tried to do everything, and that admittedly was “pretty overwhelming.” Yet while he felt like he finished a 24-hour workday whenever he got in bed, Pachulia “loved it.” He learned about each department and saw how the Warriors turned into an &dollar;11 billion franchise. Going behind the scenes gave Pachulia an appreciation for how the machine works, from ticket sales to partnerships, public relations to marketing and being in the community. Each door unveiled a special ingredient to success. Pachulia knows his advantage in connecting basketball and business is his experience as a professional athlete. Navigating a locker room is being able to connect with all sorts of people, which is why you’ll almost always see Pachulia at Warriors home games, and also never know where he’ll be next.“I can wear multiple hats,” Pachulia says. “One day you might be seeing me spend time with our corporate partnership team. One day you might see me taking on our senior leadership meetings. The draft is coming up and I could be in the draft room. … Being a bridge between business and basketball, there’s nothing better than that and for people to say, ‘He’s a great teammate.’ That’s the best compliment, I think, you can get as a human being.“I’m definitely grateful for that. I’m embracing my role, and I love it. I love the Bay Area. I love Dub Nation. I love Golden State. This is home.” What Pachulia has learned as a Warriors liaison is how he’ll approach being part of MLV NorCal’s ownership group. He also has been lucky enough to see the birth of the Valkyries as an expansion team under the ownership of Joe Lacob. However, the most important and inspirational voice for his new job has been his 13-year-old daughter. She plays volleyball, watches volleyball and knows the game on social media. Dad asks her about her favorite players and teams, and what positions are most fun to see in reels. Questions get even more simpler, with huge impacts. How simple? What’s your favorite color? That simple. MLV NorCal doesn’t have a team name yet. No mascot, not even a home. Team colors are still to be determined, and Pachulia wants his most trusted confidant to tell it like it is. “The best thing actually is to ask her a question,” Pachulia says. “Ask her how she feels. What would they like to wear? What colors? Or even the names. We are actually trying to go out into our community and trying to see what our community wants. We want to build a franchise where the community is part of it. That’s the beauty of doing a business. “She got really excited, but I think the more excitement is going to come once she goes to the games. At the end of the day, we can talk about colors and names and all that, but it’s about what kind of experience you’re going to have when you show up in the arena. Before the game, once you get there, throughout the game. After the game, are you going to leave with the mindset of when is the next game? When is the next home game? That’s the most powerful thing, that’s the most important thing.” The athlete in Pachulia will never leave. Nor will the competitor. Like Lacob, he just wants to win. Lacob promised a championship within five years of becoming the Warriors’ owner, and he delivered in Year 5. He made the same promise as owner of the Valkyries and the expansion team made the WNBA playoffs in its first season of existence. Pachulia aims even higher in bringing Major League Volleyball to Northern California. “I’m going three years&excl;” Pachulia proclaims. “We’re going to break Joe Lacob’s record&excl; Three years, baby.” In Pachulia’s famous words, nothing easy.Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Why ex-Warriors big man Zaza Pachulia decided to join MLV NorCal ownership group

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