By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Greek basketball great Sofoklis Schortsanitis announcement his retirement from playing at 35 years of age.
“With the situation right now around the world and with COVID and how things are going and the leagues struggling right now, I decided to step down. I decided to retire,” Schortsanitis said to Israeli Sport 5. “I will have more time to spend with my family and that will give my wife also the opportunity to pursue her career.”
Two months ago, Sofo has said that he was leaning towards retirement, and this time his decision is final.
Throughout a career that saw him playing with pro teams since he was 15 years old in 2000, Schortsanitis won multiple titles and distinctions on all levels. Some of his crowning achievements include the 2014 EuroLeague championship with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the silver medal with Greece in the 2006 World Cup and the bronze in EuroBasket 2009.
The 2006 World Cup was when Schortsanitis gained a considerable amount of international attention thanks to his performance in the semifinal of Greece against Team USA. Big Sofo had a key part in Greece pulling off the huge upset by scoring 14 points on 6-7 shots in 17 minutes against a USA team that included Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, among others.
Sofo, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2003, was also instrumental in Greece winning the bronze in the 2009 EuroBasket, scoring 23 points in the third-place game vs. Slovenia.