By Niki Bakouli
By the definition of his name, he was born to be glorious for his wisdom. His name, Sofoklis, is a combination of Sofo (from the greek word “sofia”=wisdom) and klis (from the word “kleos”=glorious). Last year he confessed he actually became the man. of his name, after trying for many many years to understand his place in this world, the reason for his existence. This reason was not to please everybody else and it was not just to please himself (he tried them both).
It was about knowing how much he could achieve through hard work, it was about having respect for his talent, having trust to his abilities and it was about getting ready to receive love, without second thoughts, without having suspicions that whoever comes his way loves Schortsanitis -not Sofoklis. And he had every reason to be confused after what he had been through in his life. Because he had always too much love to give, but his soul could suffer the consequences of all those who wanted only to gain something from everything and not to give back.
He gave his fights (good and bad) and he earned his life back, together with his best possible career. So, when he met Eirini, he was in the right place: ready to understand, to receive and give unconditional love. Eirini stood by him for 4 years, a period that was not covered with rose petals. When they first met each other, Sofo wasn’t at his best. It was few days after he came back from Switzerland, where he had struggled to lose weight and continue his contract with Olympiacos. His effort to leave back his tendencies which could destroy his career -together with his life- was still in progress.
And Eirini was a catalyst for success. He devoted himself to this young sports physiotherapist and he forgot anything that wasn’t good for him (because he used to try to forget anything he didn’t like through eating). You could see the difference in his gentle face. Even his eyes were calmer, happier. And he started to be professional model. Before his moving to Israel, he gave her a ring, as a statement for his eternal love. Actually it was like they were engaged and Eirini was going back and forth from Tel Aviv to Athens, during weekends.
And despite his decision to keep this relationship far away from the media, when he was selected to Euroleague’s first team -last year- he dedicated this honor “to everyone who has supported me all these years, to my family and most of all to my girlfriend, who is always with me and helped me through difficult times”.
So, it was a matter of time to take it up to the next level: on the 26th of September of 2011 they got married, but it was five months before this, when he got his best news EVER: Eirini was pregnant and a difficulty to her pregnancy was the reason he didn’t play with National Team, at the Eurobasket. He couldn’t focus to basketball. His mind was set 24-7 on his wife and their kid.
He couldn’t do anything else but to be near her -although she was insisting he had to stay with the National Team because he couldn’t help, in anyway. At the end he did what his heart needed: he chose to be close to the biggest love(s) of his life. As the presence of Eirini changed his life he thought it was just an honorable thing to do the same.
And on the 24th of February Maximos Konstantinos came to life (58 cm tall and 3.950 kilos strong). That day he had a job to do (he was playing with Maccabi for TOP16 of Euroleague), but after that he asked for a permission to go to Athens and see. Actually, what he saw is something he cannot describe.
If you had the chance to talk -even for just once- with Sofoklis you know he is so clever that he can describe everything -every emotion- with words; everything but not this one. “To say that I am happy it’s an understatement. I really have no words to describe everything that came to my mind, everything I felt into my soul, into my body when I first saw him. I think now I can understand what love is. And I have to thank Eirini for everything. She changed my life and this little guy came to make everything even better. But i have to say, i already feel complete. It’s the first time i know everything will be fine because i won’t let it happen any other way”.