Schortsanitis Recalls Tense Coaching Relationships and Hapoel Fan Incident

Former player Sofoklis Schortsanitis, known as "Baby Shaq," reflected on his past coaching relationships and a notable on-court incident in a recent interview. Schortsanitis, who played two successful stints with Maccabi Tel Aviv, including their 2014 Euroleague win, discussed his strained relationship with coach Pini Gershon. He admitted that while Gershon was responsible for the rift, he could have handled situations better himself.

Schortsanitis recounted an incident where, after a loss, Gershon asked anyone unhappy with his coaching to raise their hand, and he was the only one to do so. He described Gershon's coaching style in Greece as primarily focused on earning money and vacationing, suggesting that David Blatt often ran practices when Gershon was with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Schortsanitis felt Gershon's practices were disorganized, citing instances where players would run drills endlessly while Gershon would disappear for extended periods.

The former center also expressed strong negative feelings towards coach Ataman, stating he refused an opportunity to play for him due to his treatment of players. Schortsanitis predicted that if they worked together, a physical altercation would be inevitable.

Regarding a past incident where he chased a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan after a derby, Schortsanitis stated he would do the same again. He explained that the fan repeatedly cursed him as he was leaving the arena, and Schortsanitis reacted after the fan directed a final curse at him. He acknowledged his behavior was wrong and that he faced a disciplinary hearing, where he defended himself by stating that while he had heard severe insults about himself and his family throughout his career, certain lines should not be crossed.