Armenian-American guard Gary Chivichyan is a free agent, and clubs across the Middle East are reportedly tracking him after his best professional season yet in Lebanon, reports Zartonk Media.
Teams in Qatar, Dubai, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia are exploring a deal, The Sports Report reported, with multiple organizations said to be discussing multi-year contracts carrying significant financial commitments. No club has been named and no terms have been made public.
In the Lebanese Basketball League in 2024-25, Chivichyan averaged 15.8 points over 14 games, shooting 40.8 percent from three across 32.3 minutes a night, and was selected to the league’s All-Star Game. It was a jump from the season before, when he averaged 7.6 points in 12 games in 2023-24 and shot 32.7 percent from behind the arc.
He also played the Dubai International Championship, in a field that included Dwight Howard and Andray Blatche. He hit 8 three-pointers in a single game, the tournament’s single-game high, and finished with 26 points. Across his international career he has averaged 16 points a game and earned International All-Star honors.
His Agent Says the Decision Is the Player’s
Ara Vartanian, who represents him, did not describe a done deal.
“Chivichyan knows the commitment it takes to travel overseas, the level of preparation, the mental fortitude, and it’s something he has to be committed to if we’re going to do this,” Vartanian said. “I know a good deal of his energy is going into his recent business ventures in Los Angeles, so it’s going to come down to what Gary wants to do, not me. He knew all along that if we got the appearance in the NBA Summer League, that further opportunities would be at the door.”
A List of Firsts No Armenian Had Before Him
Chivichyan was born in Los Angeles on July 17, 1996, holds American and Armenian citizenship and is listed at 6 feet 4 inches.
He is the first Armenian drafted into the NBA system, taken by the Lakeland Magic in the second round of the 2021 NBA G League draft with the 7th pick. He is the first Armenian nominated for an ESPY, in the 2020 Honorary Outstanding Senior category. He is the only Armenian to have his jersey sold in the NBA Store.
He played a full season in the G League with the Los Angeles Clippers organization and signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings. He worked out for 5 different NBA teams before the draft, 5 times in total. He drew a sellout at the Lakers facility against the South Bay Lakers.
He joined the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2025 NBA Summer League roster and took part in a 2-week NBA training camp with the Bucks.
He has also represented Armenia’s national team, including at the 2017 European World Cup pre-qualifier.
Idaho State Still Has His Name in Its Record Book
Chivichyan spent 4 seasons at Idaho State in the Big Sky Conference, where he finished runner-up for Freshman of the Year and left ranked 4th in program history with 175 made three-pointers and 7th in three-point percentage at 40.4.
He transferred to the University of the Pacific for 2019-20 and played in the West Coast Conference under Damon Stoudamire, the former NBA guard. He finished top-10 in the WCC in three-point field goals, was the second-leading scorer on a 23-win tournament-bound team that set a program record for regular-season wins, and scored 19 in a triple-overtime win over Saint Mary’s. He was named an Honorary College Basketball Player of the Year.
The Name on the Back Comes With a Reputation
His father is Gokor Chivichyan, the judo and submission grappling coach regarded as one of the most complete grapplers of all time.
Gokor opened the Hayastan MMA Academy in 1991 and trained Manvel Gamburyan, Sako Chivitchian, Neil Melanson, Karen Darabedyan, Roman Mitichyan, Ronda Rousey and Karo Parisyan, fighters who went on to the UFC, WEC, King of the Cage and Olympic and national judo championships. The United States Ju-Jitsu Federation awarded him the rank of 7th dan in judo in February 2005.
Intuit Dome Honored Him in April
On April 7, 2026, Chivichyan was honored during Armenian Heritage Night, before the Clippers played the Dallas Mavericks, in front of Intuit Dome fans and a national television audience.
“What I’ve achieved is bigger than my own story,” Chivichyan told Zartonk Media at the time. “This day belongs to our community and to every kid watching, wondering what’s possible. A signal to the next generation that they can go even further. The path is now open.”
Six months later, the next step is his to pick. Lebanon is familiar ground. Dubai has already seen what he does. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are building leagues that did not exist a few years ago. Nothing has been signed.
