The 2019 World Basketball Championship, which will be held in China for the next two weeks (until September 15) and is expected to fix the fans on their screens, despite the difficulties created by the time difference, makes its first jambol tomorrow. The National team enters the… sufferings of the tournament a day later, on Sunday 01/09, 15:00 Greek time), against the calculated Montenegro, at the beginning of an effort that all Greeks wish and hope will last a long time. The quartet is a realistic target, with the USA, Serbia and Spain imagining the undisputed favorites for the podium.
However, no one can write off the "blue and white", which has a fairly strong ensemble, a basketball history and education that few countries have, but also some of the stars of the sport. The representative team has in its ranks the MVP of the regular season for the previous season in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounbo, an athlete who can change the form of a game on his own. Thus, an overrun similar to the one he achieved in the 2006 event, which had taken place again in the east of this planet - in Japan at the time - would not be a surprise. The second place is the best in the history of Mud Basketball for the Greek team and that success can only be compared with those in the Eurobasket of 1987 and 2005.
The great course of 2006 and the star of Schortsianitis
Sophocles Schortsianitis had a great contribution to the effort made by the national team of Greece in the stadiums of the country of the rising sun, probably with the most complete roster in its history. Although he was by no means the big star of that team and in fact he entered almost from the window in the dozen, the then 21-year-old center came to "button" properly in a complete and organized ensemble.
Panagiotis Giannakis' team had found its trunk for good. There was no player who did not offer, even a little, when he entered the field, always giving what he had and did not have. The quartet of the peripherals was θ mythical: Papaloukas, Diamantidis, Spanoulis and Zisis, which was completed by Hadjivrettas. The leader Kakiouzis dominated the forwards, with Vassilopoulos framing him. Fotsis and Tsartsaris played in "4", with Dikoudis being between them and the two centers, Lazaros Papadopoulos and "Baby Shaq".
"Sofo" took the place of Retzias, whom Giannakis found himself in the difficult position of "cutting" from the mission, with his choice being justified in the absolute. He justified his choice of coach and began to give his credentials to the sport. In fact, he came from his first good year at Olympiakos, he had trained a lot and was in perfect condition, to make not only the Americans, but also everyone who watched Mud Basketball in Japan rub their eyes. In the now famous semifinal with the USA (101-95), he made the mark that was "engraved" forever in the memories of his basketball friends, as he finished the match with 17 points. However, the follow-up was not to be proportionate…
A miracle of nature with great talent in basketball
Schortsianitis was born in Tiko, Cameroon. The Greek father and the Cameroonian mother. This combination and the genes he took from the people who brought him into the world, proved to be such that he turned it into a miracle of nature. From a very young age, it seemed that basketball was his destination. His first team was Iraklis Kavalas, while only at the age of 15 - and after he had swept everyone in his youth - he reached the first team of Iraklis, signed his first contract and with the jersey of the "old" for the next four years (2000 -03) began to take his first important professional steps. To be precise, jumps…
"Sopho" was estimated to be 2,15 meters high, but stopped at 2,06. It was one of the few that nature did not offer him generously. However, this did not stop him from showing his excellent ability under the basket, effectively finishing the phases with both hands, while the way he "rolled" on the bodies of the tall opponents was exemplary. Also, his volume combined with his athletic skills - something rare for European basketball - made him irresistible. When two to three players fell on him to close him, he also had a pretty good pass, which made effective use of his teammates.
From NBA Draft, to Abroad, Return and Take Off
All of these skills caught his eye in the NBA. In 2003, he was selected for the No. 34 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, but did not move to the top basketball league in the world. Cantu took advantage of the situation, which made him her own for the 2003-04 season. The next season he returned to Greece on behalf of Aris, while in 2005 he was acquired by Olympiakos and quickly became one of the most beloved players among the "red and white" fans. His first season in Faliro was very good, while he showed great improvement. This was the reason why… baked Giannakis to take him with him to Japan.
His game with the Americans in Saitama and the way he "leveled" Dwight Howard, a peer who was already one of the NBA stars, but also Chris Bosh, a tall man who lacked volume but had an amazing perception of sport, looked like a scene from the future. Basketball "wanted" Schortsianitis on the other side of the Atlantic, but it turned out that he did not want it. It is characteristic that even the center Orlando Magic himself approached his Greek opponent and allegedly said to him: "What the hell are you doing in Europe?".
The "demons" who did not let him unfold
However, despite the promises he made in the World Cup, he could not live up to the expectations that everyone had of him, but especially himself. In the 2006-07 season, after his impressive performance in Mud Basketball, he continued at Olympiakos, but appeared heavier than he should have been, resulting in a mediocre season. The worst did not take long to come and before the start of the 2007-2008 season, the medical staff of Olympiacos, informed him that if he does not return to normal, not only his career is endangered, but also his health.
Legend has it that while fighting in Italy, he set fire to his house, trying to fry eggs in the early morning. His coach in Kantou begged him to stop going to his daughter's pizzeria and watch his diet, while in Thessaloniki it was said that his midnight outings in the city's bars, when he was playing on Mars, were countless. And in Piraeus, it proved difficult to control himself. After everyone realized - and especially himself - that the situation was not improving, he made the decision and went to a weight loss clinic in Switzerland, in early January 2008. At the same time, his contract was terminated, but he eventually returned to the "red and white" roster and played for for the first time after several months of absence, in the last match of the regular season. In fact, his presence was important in the course of his team until the final.
Search for "Ithaca" and the scene with the fan who was chasing
After several years in Piraeus, in 2010 he signed a contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, with which he reached the Euroleague final in 2011, where he lost to Panathinaikos, while he also won the double in Israel. At the same time, there was a series of individual distinctions. With the team of the people he also celebrated the championships of 2012 and 2014, as well as the Cups of 2012, 2014 and 2015. However, his greatest success at the collective level was the conquest of the Euroleague in the 2013 season. -14, in the Final-4 of Milan. In the meantime, in the summer of 2012 he returned to Greece for the "clover", with which he won another double (in 2013), but his contract - due to his small participation - was not renewed.
However, at the end of the 2013-14 season there was an incident that "marked" him for his entire career. Furious with a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan in the away game for his team, he took him on a hunt to teach him a lesson, as he told him something that drove him crazy. "I will rape your daughter and son," were the words he heard, according to Maccabi. "In my career I have played many times in hostile seats, but this is the first time I lost my temper and broke out. "I have played against fans of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, who are very enthusiastic and I have heard almost everything in the past, but I have never been insulted like the fans of Hapoel", he stressed.
To add: "They insulted me, my mother, my wife. When my children were cursed, I lost control. I understand that a professional who represents his country and a respected team like Maccabi should not react like that. I feel bad about it and I know I left a bad mark on my team's big win in the derby. But I love my family and I do not let anyone treat them the way they did. There must be a limit to the behavior of the fans. "You have to be mentally ill to say such things against someone's family."
The temporary end to basketball and one last roll
After another season with Maccabi, in the summer of 2015 he signed for the Red Star. His passage from Belgrade proved to be short and he returned to the Greek championship in November on behalf of PAOK. In December 2016, after six months without a team, he signed a cooperation contract with Apollon Patras. Shortly after the signing of his contract with the Achaeans, Schortsianitis was injured and thus the cooperation between the two sides was terminated. On November 1, 2017, he was announced by Trikala, with whose jersey he made his debut on January 6, 2018 against Rethymno, in his first game after 623 days. In this match he had 6 points and 1 rebound in 9:20 minutes of participation. His image, with his many extra pounds, created mixed feelings among the fans. Most felt sad, while others - more vicious - took the opportunity to ridicule him.
Everything showed that the city of Thessaly would be the last stop of his career. However, after a year of abstinence from active action, the 34-year-old center agreed to return to the floor on behalf of Ionikos Nikaia, which returned to the Basket League after several years. The two sides shook hands with Schortsanitis being tested by Stergios Koufos and his associates, in order to convince that he still has things to give.
"Baby Shaq" rolls his last dice to stay in the sport for which he was destined, with all the people who really love the sport wishing that his effort will not be in vain. The only sure thing is that no matter what happens, no one will forget that breakfast (for Greece) in Saitama.