Sofoklis Schortsanitis Recalls Tense Coaching Relationships and Derby Incident

Former Maccabi Tel Aviv center Sofoklis Schortsanitis, known as "Baby Shaq," reflected on his time with the club in a recent interview, discussing strained relationships with coaches Pini Gershon and Attaman, and a past incident with a rival fan. Schortsanitis played for Maccabi in two successful stints, including their 2014 Euroleague championship season under David Blatt.

He described a breakdown in his relationship with Pini Gershon, stemming from an incident where Schortsanitis was the only player to publicly question Gershon's coaching during a team meeting. Schortsanitis admitted he could have handled the situation better but felt Gershon's approach to coaching, which he characterized as more of a vacation, was detrimental. He noted that David Blatt often led practices when Gershon was present.

Schortsanitis also expressed strong reservations about coaching Attaman, stating he refused an offer to play for him prior to joining Maccabi Tel Aviv. He cited Attaman's treatment of players as the reason, predicting a physical altercation if they had worked together. "If I work with him, we'll get into a fight by the second game," Schortsanitis said.

Regarding a derby incident where he pursued a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan, Schortsanitis maintained he would act the same way again. He explained the fan repeatedly cursed at him, and Schortsanitis reacted after the fan cursed him again as he was leaving the arena. He acknowledged his behavior was inappropriate and led to a disciplinary hearing, where he stated that while he had endured severe insults in other clubs, certain lines should not be crossed.