Schortsanitis in his Greek national team jersey. |
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| Nickname(s) | Big Sofo, Sofo[1] |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 345 lb (156 kg) |
| League | Israeli Super League Euroleague Adriatic |
| Team | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| Number | 21 |
| Born | June 22, 1985 Tiko, Cameroon |
| Nationality | Greek |
| College | None |
| Draft | 2nd round, 34th overall, 2003 Los Angeles Clippers |
| Pro career | 2000–present |
| Career history | Iraklis Thessaloníki (2000–03) Cantù (2003–04) Aris Thessaloníki (2004–05) Olympiacos Piraeus (2005–10) Maccabi Tel Aviv (2010–present) |
| Awards | 2× Greek All Star Game MVP 2006, 2010 All-Euroleague First Team 2011 |
Sofoklis Schortsanitis (alternate spelling: Sophocles Schortsanitis) (Greek: Σοφοκλής Σχορτσανίτης) (born June 22, 1985) is a Greek professional basketball player. He was born in Tiko, Cameroon,[2] to a Greek father and a Cameroonian mother.
He is listed at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) and 156.5 kg (345 lb).[3] Schortsanitis currently plays with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
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Schortsanitis started out as a competitive chess player (elo rating 1266) in his home town of Kavala, but he then turned to basketball. He began playing basketball at a professional level in the Greek League when he was a teenager, beginning with Iraklis, where he averaged 6.4 minutes and 2.6 points per game. He then went to play in the Italian League with Cantù. He then returned to Greece to play with Aris.
For the Greek League 2005–06 season, George Garbolas chose him to be Olympiacos' new center. "Sofo" became a vital member of the team, and his performances impressed Panagiotis Giannakis, who picked Schortsanitis for the senior Greek national basketball team, following the season.
He was offered a contract by the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA in the summer of 2006, after having been originally selected in the 2nd round (34th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft, but he turned it down because he was still under contract with Olympiacos at the time.[4] In 2010, his contract with Olympiacos expired and he originally elected to participate in the NBA Summer League with the Clippers, with an eye towards joining the team. This time the Clippers were however unimpressed and he failed to secure a contract.
On August 5, 2010, it was announced that Schortsanitis signed a two-year deal with the five-time Euroleague champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League.[5] His presence alongside Jeremy Pargo, Chuck Eidson and Doron Perkins helped their team reach the 2011 Euroleague Final, where they eventually lost to Panathinaikos, by a score of 78–70. Sofo averaged 12 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1 assist per game throughout the Euroleague 2010-11 season, thus earning an All-Euroleague First Team selection.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Greece | ||
| Men's Basketball | ||
| FIBA Europe U18 Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2002 Böblingen | National team |
| FIBA U19 World Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2003 Thessaloniki | National Team |
| FIBA World Championship | ||
| Silver | 2006 Japan | National Team |
| FIBA European Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2009 Poland | National Team |
After some friendly matches and qualifiers, Schortsanitis' first appearance at a major FIBA competition was at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, where he helped Greece to win the silver medal by defeating Team USA by a score of 101–95 in the semifinals.
At the EuroBasket 2009 held in Poland, Schortsanitis' performance was decisive in Greece winning the bronze medal match against Slovenia, as he scored 23 points, on 78% accuracy, grabbed six rebounds, blocked two shots and drew 12 fouls.
Schortsanitis is a classic, "old school" style center that plays in the low post on offense and defends the rim and painted lane area of the court on defense. Schortsanitis was measured at the 2003 NBA pre-draft camp at a height of 6 ft 8 3⁄4 in (2.05 m) tall barefoot, 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall with shoes on, and with a 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) wingspan.[6][7]
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