NBA Prospect Gary Chivichyan Is the First Armenian to Be Nominated for An ESPYS Award

LOS ANGELES (EINPresswire.com) —  Gary Chivichyan dubbed the “Armenian Sniper” for his noteworthy skill at long-range shooting and scoring is an NBA prospect who completed playing his senior year for the Pacific Tigers at the University of the Pacific. He was recruited by former NBA star, coach Damon Stoudamire. The Pacific Tigers have had one of their most successful seasons in 2019-2020 and Chivichyan was a big part of that success finishing second in team scoring and first in 3 point field goals made. Chivichyan, who grew up in Hollywood California was also the only division one basketball player this last season that was Armenian.

Chivichyan says “Growing up, I always had a chip on my shoulder and I always believed I would achieve great things for myself and my heritage…I always aspire to be a leader for my community and a role model for the Armenian youth….I put in a lot of work to get the results I have today” That work ethic, confidence, and mindset will be necessary to play at the NBA level as he will attempt to play professionally and break cultural boundaries stating “I want to be the first Armenian to ever make it into the NBA”. He has currently signed with NBA agent Ara Vartanian and has NBA workouts with multiple teams. Most recently, Gary competed in an NBA scrimmage, where he impressed scouts not only with his precision shooting but his ability to score the ball in a multitude of ways and played hard-nosed defense.

As recognition of his athletic ability and prolific 3-point shooting skills on the basketball court, Chivichyan has been nominated for the ESPYS 2020 Honorary Outstanding Senior award by the Nominating Committee and is proud to be the first Armenian nominee in the history of the ESPYS awards.

The ESPYS or Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly awards recognize individual and team athletic achievements that took place in the calendar year preceding the ceremony. The ESPYS are for sport what the Academy Awards are for film or the Grammys are for music. The ESPYS first started out in 1993 and since 2004 the voting process has changed and the winners of each award category are not solely voted by the sports fans but also by sportswriters, executives, sports experts, and ESPN personalities. This year the ESPYS will be a little bit different due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a virtual show that is scheduled for June 21st on the ABC / ESPN network. Following his nomination and making it to the top 4 nominees in his category, Chivichyan is now waiting for his interview with ESPN producers before they make the final decision.

Gary Chivichyan’s passion for his Armenian heritage is truly fueled by the thousands of years of hardships and obstacles that the Armenians have had to endure and overcome, empowering and shaping him into the athlete that he is today. The Armenian diaspora is one of the largest in the world, prompted by WWI and the Armenian Genocide which led to more Armenians living outside of the country of Armenia today rather than in it. There are Armenians from different countries and backgrounds living in LA including Armenians from Armenia. They have been living in California for a very long time and LA has the biggest population of Armenians outside of Armenia.

Chivichyan belongs to a generation that equally represents the American lifestyle, culture, and ideals whilst not failing to honor and promote his Armenian heritage. He has dual citizenship in both Armenia and the US and he is a member of the National Basketball team of Armenia.

The coronavirus pandemic has put things in a different perspective for many professionals around the world but Chivichyan is determined to get out of this health crisis unscathed and empowered to keep going after his dreams to train professionally. Gym access has been difficult but he has also set up a gym at his house in Glendale, California in order to keep up with his training schedule. He is determined to put in the work so he can stay on top of his game.