Early years
Born in his native port town of Tiko, Cameroon, Schortsanitis moved to his step father's native country of, Greece with his mother when he was very young. He has a younger brother called Alexandros.[3] Schortsanitis first took up basketball in his home city of Kavala. It was there where his parents advised him to play basketball, and Schortsanitis at first did not like the sport. But eventually the game grew on him, and he was always practicing and then progressively, he began to like it, which led to him playing it every day. Eventually, a scout/coach discovered his talent, and pushed him into the sport.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis

Schortsanitis with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2011
Personal information
Born	22 June 1985 (age 35) Tiko, Cameroon
Nationality	Greek / Cameroonian
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	400 lb (181 kg)
Career information
NBA draft	2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers
Playing career	2000–2020
Position	Center
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
EuroLeague champion (2014) All-EuroLeague First Team (2011) Greek League champion (2013) 2× Greek Cup winner (2010, 2013) 2× Greek All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2010) 3× Israeli Super League champion (2011, 2012, 2014) 4× Israeli State Cup winner (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015) Albert Schweitzer Tournament MVP (2002) Acropolis Tournament MVP (2010)
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Professional career

Schortsanitis began playing basketball at a professional level with Iraklis in the Greek League, when he was a teenager, starting in the 2000–01 season. In the 2002–03 season, he averaged 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in the Greek Basket League, at the age of 17. He then went on to play in the Italian League with Cantù, during the 2003–04 season, but his stay there was a failure, due to a lack of maturity and experience. Following that, he returned to Greece, and spent the 2004–05 season with the Greek club Aris.
Olympiacos

In the 2005–06 season, Schortsanitis was transferred to Olympiacos. He became a vital member of the team that reached the EuroLeague quarterfinals, and his performances impressed Panagiotis Giannakis, who picked him for the senior Greek national basketball team at the end of the season.

During the following two years, Schortsanitis failed to achieve consistency, and his chronic weight issues re-emerged, to the point that he spent almost the entire 2007–08 season dealing with them.[4] He came back in shape for the 2008–09 season, and helped Olympiacos reach the EuroLeague Final Four. In the 2009–10 season, he made another step towards consistency, displaying his most mature performances with Olympiacos, on the club's way to the EuroLeague Final, which they lost to Juan Carlos Navarro's and Ricky Rubio's Barcelona, by a score 86–68.
Maccabi Tel Aviv

On 5 August 2010, Schortsanitis signed a two-year deal with the then five-time EuroLeague champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League.[5] His presence alongside Jeremy Pargo, Chuck Eidson, and Doron Perkins helped the team reach the 2011 EuroLeague Final, where they eventually lost to Dimitris Diamantidis' Panathinaikos, by a score of 78–70. Schortsanitis averaged 12 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1 assist per game throughout the EuroLeague 2010–11 season, earning an All-EuroLeague First Team selection.[6]

In the 2011–12 season, Schortsanitis fought a chronic knee injury, which affected his performance during the season, and left him unable to participate with the Greek national team that summer. Nevertheless, he helped Maccabi reach the EuroLeague quarterfinals, where they were topped by Panathinaikos, losing the series, 3–2.
Panathinaikos

On 4 July 2012, Schortsanitis signed a three-year contract with the Greek club Panathinaikos,[7] worth €1.5 million euros net income.[8] He reportedly turned down significantly more lucrative offers from Baskonia Vitoria and Galatasaray, among others, to return to Greece and fulfill his desire to play for Panathinaikos. In July 2013, Panathinaikos announced that Schortsanitis would not continue play for the club.[9]
Second stint with Maccabi

On 10 July 2013, Schortsanitis returned to Maccabi after one season in Panathinaikos, and signed a three-year contract with the defending Israeli Premier League champions.[10] In his comeback season with Maccabi, the club won the finals of that season's EuroLeague, which was the first EuroLeague championship won in Schortsanitis' career. Over 29 games played in the EuroLeague that season, he averaged 9.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, in 14.2 minutes per game of playing time.
Crvena zvezda

On 2 August 2015, Schortsanitis signed a one-year contract with the Serbian club Crvena zvezda.[11][12] On 28 October 2015, he parted ways with Zvezda. In 6 games played with the club in the ABA League's 2015–16 season, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.[13]
PAOK

On 2 November 2015, Schortsanitis signed with the Greek club PAOK, for the rest of the season.[14] With PAOK, he averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, in the European-wide 2nd-tier level EuroCup's 2015–16 season.[15]
Apollon Patras

In December 2016, Schortsanitis joined the Greek club Apollon Patras. However, on 28 December, he suffered a serious injury, as he ruptured his Achilles tendon, during one of the team's practices. The injury caused him to then miss the entire remainder of the Greek Basket League 2016–17 season, and he was thus not able to play in any games with Apollon.
Aries Trikala

On 18 October 2017, Schortsanitis returned to action, and joined Aries Trikala of the Greek Basket League, for the 2017–18 season.[16] On 6 January 2018, he made his debut in a 76–86 loss to Rethymno Cretan Kings, recording 6 points and one rebound, off the bench.[17][18]
Ionikos Nikaias

On 24 July 2019, Schortsanitis signed with Ionikos Nikaias for the Greek Basket League 2019–20 season.[19]
NBA draft rights

Schortsanitis drew interest from the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2006, after having been originally selected in the 2nd round (34th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft; however, because he was still under contract with Olympiacos at the time, he did not make a move to the NBA.[20] In 2010, his contract with Olympiacos expired, and he elected to participate in the NBA Summer League with the Clippers, with an eye towards joining the team; this time, however, the Clippers were unimpressed, and he failed to secure a contract with the team. On 30 July 2012, the Los Angeles Clippers traded the draft rights of Schortsanitis, to the Atlanta Hawks, in a sign-and-trade deal for Willie Green.[21]

On 15 July 2014, his draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, in exchange for Thabo Sefolosha, the rights to Georgios Printezis, and cash considerations.[22]

2003-04 UD Top Prospects #13 Sofoklis Schortsanitis NBA Basketball Trading Card

2003-04 SP Game Used #140 Sofoklis Schortsanitis RC /999 NBA Basketball Trading Card

Retirement

On 10 December 2020, Schortsanitis announced his retirement.[23]
National team career
Schortsanitis playing for the senior Greek national team.
Greek junior national team

Schortsanitis was a member of the junior national teams of Greece. With Greece's junior national teams, he played at the 2001 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, the 2002 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, where he won a bronze medal, and at the 2003 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, where he won a bronze medal. Schortsanitis also won the gold medal at the 2002 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, where he was also named the MVP of the tournament.
Greek senior national team

After some friendly games and qualifiers, Schortsanitis' first appearance at a major FIBA competition with the senior men's Greek national basketball team was at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, which was held in Japan. He helped Greece to win the silver medal at the tournament, after they defeated Team USA, by a score of 101–95, in the semifinals. Schortsanitis scored 14 points, in 17 minutes played during the game. He also played with Greece at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

At the EuroBasket 2009, which was held in Poland, Schortsanitis' performance was decisive in Greece winning the tournament's bronze medal game against Slovenia, as he scored 23 points on a 78% field goal shooting percentage, while grabbing six rebounds, blocking two shots, and managing to draw 12 fouls. He also played at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Player profile

Schortsanitis is a classic, "old school" style center that plays in the low post on offence, and that 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,[24] and with a 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) wingspan.[25][26]

His official playing weight was listed as 354 lb (161 kg).
Career statistics
Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field-goal percentage 3P% 3-point field-goal percentage FT% Free-throw percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game PIR Performance Index Rating
Bold Career high
dagger Denotes season in which Schortsanitis' team won the EuroLeague
EuroLeague
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2005–06 Olympiacos 22 1 19.1 .618 — .632 4.9 .5 1.2 .6 10.7 12.0
2006–07 Olympiacos 17 1 11.0 .655 — .507 1.8 .7 .4 .4 6.6 5.4
2008–09 Olympiacos 13 1 8.3 .568 .000 .625 1.8 .3 .2 .1 4.4 2.8
2009–10 Olympiacos 19 18 13.3 .614 — .486 2.5 .6 .5 .2 7.2 6.6
2010–11 Maccabi 22 20 19.2 .585 — .625 4.1 1.0 .8 .6 12.0 13.0
2011–12 Maccabi 21 14 16.0 .595 — .625 3.0 1.0 .6 .4 8.7 8.6
2012–13 Panathinaikos 26 9 12.1 .576 — .604 2.3 .9 .3 .1 7.8 6.4
2013–14dagger Maccabi 29 20 14.2 .613 — .577 2.6 1.1 .8 .3 9.6 8.3
2014–15 Maccabi 26 20 14.7 .528 — .549 2.3 1.0 .3 .4 6.7 5.9
2015–16 Crvena zvezda 2 1 15.2 .500 — .500 .5 .0 .0 .5 4.5 -1.5
Career 197 105 14.5 .593 .000 .583 2.9 .8 .6 .4 8.4 7.9
Awards and accomplishments
Professional career

5× Greek League All-Star Game: (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013)
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 junior national team

2001 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship: All-First Team Selection
2002 Albert Schweitzer Tournament: Gold
2002 Albert Schweitzer Tournament: MVP
2002 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship: Bronze
2003 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: Bronze

Greek senior national team

2006 FIBA World Championship: Silver
2009 EuroBasket: Bronze
Acropolis Tournament MVP: 2010

References

"Prospect Profile: Sofoklis Schortsanitis". NBA.com. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis (Baby Shaq, Big Sofo).
ALEXANDROS SCHORTSANITIS basketball profile.
"The Long Journey Of Sofoklis Schortsanitis". losangeles.sbnation.com. 12 July 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
"Maccabi Tel Aviv announced Sofoklis Schortsanitis". Sportando.net. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
"MVP Diamantidis heads 2010-11 All-Euroleague First Team". Euroleague.net. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
"Panathinaikos lands Schortsanitis". Euroleague.net. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
Article on sport24.gr about Schortsanitis' transfer.
"Panathinaikos waive Sofoklis Schortsanitis". Sportando.com. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
"Sofoklis Schortsanitis Returns to Maccabi". maccabi.co.il. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
"Skorcanitis menja Bobana Marjanovića". kkcrvenazvezda.rs (in Serbian). 2 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
"Crvena Zvezda signs former-Euroleague champ Schortsanitis". Euroleague.net. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
"Friendly breakup – Crvena zvezda parted ways with Schortsanitis". aba-liga.com. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
"PAOK adds size with Euroleague champ Schortsanitis". Eurocupbasketball.com. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
SCHORTSANITIS, SOFOKLIS EuroCup 2015-16 STATISTICS.
"Sofoklis Schortsanitis joins Trikalla". eurobasket.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
"'Big Sofo' is back: Schortsanitis again on the court after almost two years". Sportando.com. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
"Trikala Aries 76 - 86 Rethymno Cretan Kings". baskethotel.com. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
"Ionikos Nikaias signs Sofoklis Schortsanitis". Sportando. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
"– ΝΒΑ καλεί Σχορτσιανίτη" (in Greek). Sport24.gr. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
CLIPPERS ACQUIRE GUARD WILLIE GREEN FROM ATLANTA.
Thunder Acquires Schortsanitis and Trade Exception.
"Sofoklis Schortsanitis retires from basketball". Eurohoops. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis Position: Center ▪ Shoots: Right 6-10 (208cm).
"Official NBA Draft Measurements". Ibiblio.org. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
"Greek Prospects – ESPN.com Chad Ford 6'10". Interbasket.net. Retrieved 30 September 2011.