Sofoklis Schortsanitis has made himself relevant to the NBA fan every few seasons since being drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis Leaves Greek National Team, Hampering EuroBasket 2011 Roster
The big man’s last appearance was with the Clippers entry in the Vegas Summer League last year, but for those hoping to see what improvements he’s made since at the EuroBasket 2011 competition, that doesn’t look like it’ll be happening.
The 26-year-old power forward left the Greek National team on Tuesday due to personal reasons, according to the FIBA website, apparently citing an illness to his girlfriend. The team’s coach was adamant that one of his team’s best players didn’t have permission to leave the team, however, leaving possible further sanctions awaiting Schortsanitis.
“I want to clarify that he did not wait for permission to go,” coach Elias Zouros said. “He told us that he wanted to stop with the national team for personal reasons, which he did, despite the efforts of the technical staff and the team to keep him here.”
Without Schortsanitis, and due to a rash of injuries hitting the majority of the Greek roster, Greece looks like it will struggle to earn a spot at the 2012 London Olympics.
[H/T: Tas Melas on Twitter]
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