Sofoklis Schortsanitis facts for kids
Schortsanitis with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 22 June 1985 Tiko, Cameroon |
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| Nationality | Greek / Cameroonian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 380 lb (172 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2000–2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Iraklis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Cantù | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Aris Thessaloniki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Olympiacos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Panathinaikos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Crvena zvezda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | PAOK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Aries Trikala | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Ionikos Nikaias | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sofoklis Schortsanitis, born on June 22, 1985, is a former professional basketball player from Greece. He was also an Olympian, meaning he played in the Olympic Games.
In 2011, he was chosen for the All-EuroLeague First Team, which is a big honor. Sofoklis won the EuroLeague title in 2014 with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also played in the EuroLeague Final in 2010 with Olympiacos and in 2011 with Maccabi.
Sofoklis was part of the Greece men's national basketball team. They won a silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. They also earned a bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2009. People often called him "Big Sofo" or "Baby Shaq" because of his size and playing style.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Start
Sofoklis Schortsanitis was born in Tiko, Cameroon. When he was very young, he moved to Greece with his mother. His father was from Greece. He has a younger brother named Alexandros.
Sofoklis first started playing basketball in his hometown of Kavala. At first, he didn't really like the sport. His parents encouraged him to play. Over time, he grew to love basketball and practiced a lot. A scout and coach noticed his talent. They helped him get more involved in the sport.
Professional Basketball Journey
Sofoklis began his professional basketball career in the 2000–01 season. He played for Iraklis. By the 2002–03 season, when he was 17, he was averaging 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
He then played a season in Italy with Cantù in 2003–04. After that, he returned to Greece. He joined the Greek club Aris for the 2004–05 season.
Playing for Olympiacos
In the 2005–06 season, Sofoklis moved to Olympiacos. He became an important player for the team. They reached the EuroLeague quarterfinals that year. His strong play impressed the national team coach, Panagiotis Giannakis. This led to Sofoklis joining the Greece men's national basketball team.
For the next two years, Sofoklis struggled with being consistent. He also had ongoing issues with his weight. He spent most of the 2007–08 season working on these problems. He came back in great shape for the 2008–09 season. He helped Olympiacos reach the EuroLeague Final Four.
In the 2009–10 season, he played even better. He showed his most mature performances with Olympiacos. The team made it to the EuroLeague Final. They lost to Barcelona with a score of 86–68.
Time with Maccabi Tel Aviv
On August 5, 2010, Sofoklis signed a two-year deal. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. Maccabi Tel Aviv was a five-time EuroLeague champion.
His strong presence helped the team reach the 2011 EuroLeague Final. They lost to Panathinaikos by a score of 78–70. Sofoklis averaged 12 points and 4.1 rebounds per game that season. This earned him a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.
In the 2011–12 season, Sofoklis dealt with a knee injury. This affected how he played. He couldn't join the national team that summer. Still, he helped Maccabi reach the EuroLeague quarterfinals. They lost to Panathinaikos in a close series.
Joining Panathinaikos
On July 4, 2012, Sofoklis signed a three-year contract. He joined the Greek club Panathinaikos. He reportedly turned down bigger offers from other teams. He wanted to play for Panathinaikos. In July 2013, Panathinaikos announced he would not continue with the club.
Return to Maccabi
On July 10, 2013, Sofoklis returned to Maccabi. He signed a three-year contract. In his first season back, Maccabi won the EuroLeague championship. This was the first EuroLeague title of Sofoklis's career. He averaged 9.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague that season.
Later Career Teams
On August 2, 2015, Sofoklis signed a one-year contract. He joined the Serbian club Crvena zvezda. He left the team on October 28, 2015. He then signed with the Greek club PAOK on November 2, 2015. With PAOK, he averaged 13.4 points per game in the EuroCup.
In December 2016, Sofoklis joined Apollon Patras. However, he suffered a serious injury on December 28. He tore his Achilles tendon. This injury made him miss the rest of the 2016–17 season. He could not play any games for Apollon.
On October 18, 2017, Sofoklis returned to action. He joined Aries Trikala for the 2017–18 season. He made his debut on January 6, 2018. He scored 6 points in that game.
On July 24, 2019, Sofoklis signed with Ionikos Nikaias. He played for them in the 2019–20 season.
NBA Draft Rights
The NBA team Los Angeles Clippers showed interest in Sofoklis in 2006. He had been picked by them in the 2003 NBA draft. However, he was still under contract with Olympiacos. So, he did not move to the NBA.
In 2010, his contract with Olympiacos ended. He played in the NBA Summer League with the Clippers. But the Clippers were not impressed. He did not get a contract with the team. On July 30, 2012, the Clippers traded his draft rights to the Atlanta Hawks. Later, on July 15, 2014, his draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Retirement from Basketball
On December 10, 2020, Sofoklis Schortsanitis announced he was retiring. He stopped playing professional club basketball. He is one of the few players from the 2003 NBA draft class who never played in the NBA.
Playing for Greece
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Sofoklis played for the Greek youth national teams. He was on the Under-16 team in 2001. He helped the Under-18 team win a bronze medal in 2002. He also helped the Under-19 team win a bronze medal in 2003.
In 2002, he won a gold medal with the junior national team. This was at the Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that tournament.
Senior Greek National Team
Sofoklis joined the senior Greece men's national basketball team. His first big tournament was the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan. He helped Greece win the silver medal. They famously beat Team USA 101–95 in the semifinals. Sofoklis scored 14 points in that game. He also played for Greece at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
At the 2009 EuroBasket in Poland, Sofoklis played a key role. He helped Greece win the bronze medal game against Slovenia. He scored 23 points in that game. He also played at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Player Style
Sofoklis Schortsanitis was a "classic" or "old school" center. This means he played close to the basket on offense. He was good at scoring from the low post area. On defense, he protected the rim and the area under the basket.
At the 2003 NBA pre-draft camp, he was measured. He was 6 feet 8 inches tall without shoes. With shoes, he was 6 feet 10 inches tall. His arm span was 7 feet 2 inches. His official playing weight was listed as 380 pounds (172 kg).
Awards and Accomplishments
Professional Career Awards
- 6× Greek League All-Star Game: (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2020)
- 2× Greek All-Star Game MVP: (2006, 2010)
- Greek League Best Five: (2006)
- 2× Greek Cup Winner: (2010, 2013)
- 4× Israeli State Cup Winner: (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015)
- EuroLeague Champion: (2014)
- All-EuroLeague First Team: (2011)
- 3× Israeli Super League Champion: (2011, 2012, 2014)
- Adriatic League Champion: (2012)
- Greek League Champion: (2013)
Greek Youth National Team Awards
- 2001 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship: All-First Team Selection
- 2002 Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament:
Gold
- 2002 Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament: MVP
- 2002 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship:
Bronze - 2003 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: Bronze
Greek Senior National Team Awards
- 2006 FIBA World Championship:
Silver
- 2006 FIBA Stanković World Cup: Gold
- FIBA EuroStar: (2007)
- 2009 EuroBasket: Bronze
- Acropolis Tournament MVP: 2010
Images for kids
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Schortsanitis with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2011
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Schortsanitis playing for the Greece men's national basketball team.
See also
In Spanish: Sofoklis Schortsanitis para niños
