Sofoklis Schortsanitis

From Hoopedia

Sofoklis Schortsanitis (Greek: Σοφοκλής Σχορτσανίτης) (born June 22, 1985 in Kavala, Greece) from a Greek father and a Cameroonian mother is a Greek professional basketball player who currently plays for Olympiakos in Greece. A 6'9" (2.06 m), 397 lbs. (180 kg) center, Schortsanitis was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2nd round (34th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft.

His nicknames are Greek Baby Shaq and Big Sofo.

Schortsanitis has been playing at professional level in the Greek league since he was a teenager, beginning with the club Iraklis, where he averaged 6.4 minutes and 2.6 points per game.

After his return to Greece he made a great effort to once again become the player with "unlimited potential" that had NBA scouts interested and his dramatic increase of ability is closely linked to Olympiacos BC's attempt to regain its past glory days. For the 2005-06 season, Coach George Garbolas chose him to be Olympiacos BC's new power forward. The press criticized the signing, stating that Schortsianitis is too heavy, but Garbolas proved everyone wrong, as he encouraged Big Sofo to lose weight.

The power-forward became a vital member of the team, and his performances impressed Panagiotis Giannakis who called Schortsianitis to the Greek national team. After some friendly games and qualifiers, his first appearance at a major competition was at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, where Greece won the silver medal. Most notably, he managed impressive dunks against China's Yao Ming and the Mike Krzyzewski-coached USA team.

Schortsanitis appears as a locked free agent power forward in NBA Live 2004, being unlocked by a secret code.