Shannon Shorter spoke to Basketball Sphere about Split, his mentoring role in the team, the coaches of the “Yellows”, and other topics.
If someone has marked an era in an ABA League team, it’s our interviewee. This is his third year on the Croatian coast, and he is one of the few players who can boast of staying in one team for so long without being a local player.
Obviously, the connection is truly significant with a city that has been waiting for a trophy for a long time. It was the first topic of our conversation, his strong bond with fans and Split, which carries the epithet of a legendary basketball city.
“I think the fact that I’ve been here for three years means that I enjoy playing here and that the fan base has accepted me very well. Of course, they hold you accountable, if you don’t play up to a certain standard, they’ll let you know, so it’s always challenging to do what I do best. Still, I enjoy it here, the club has a lot of history, and I want to win the championship here and make it to the ABA League playoffs, those are some of my goals. I hope we can achieve them this year,” Shannon Shorter began the conversation for our website.
A strange situation befell Shannon Shorter this year. He initially left the club and went to Egypt, but due to the well-known situation in that region, he left Africa and returned to the scene of his success. He told us how that process unfolded.
“I signed with a team in Egypt at the beginning of the season. There were a lot of protests there, and the situation itself wasn’t to my benefit. We agreed to part ways, and as I was leaving, I had a conversation with the management, and I told them I was leaving Egypt and going home, and the man on the phone told me to give him a day or two, and he called me a few hours later, and we reached an agreement. They had already called me three weeks before that to check how I was and what I was doing.”
Nomadic travels
Our interviewee is a true global traveler. He has played on six continents where it’s possible to play basketball (except Antarctica, of course). We asked him if any specific situation surprised him, and the answer was very straightforward.
“I wouldn’t say that something surprised me, at the end of the day, it’s all just basketball. Obviously, some countries are completely different in the way basketball is played, but can I say that I was surprised by something? I wouldn’t say that anything surprised me.”
Split can boast young guys in the team, primarily Boris Tisma and Vito Kucic, who has recently joined from Cedevita Junior . Shannon Shorter has a camp in his native Houston, and he invited these two young and promising players.
“They pay attention, first of all. I know they watch me. I talk to Tis (Tisma) and Vito, we’re building a connection because he recently joined. We also have Perkusic, aka Perk, there’s also Antonio Klepo, whom we call Melo because of Carmelo Anthony, and I can’t forget David Pavin. I talk to them a lot, and I know it means a lot to them. They are young, so they don’t know what else it takes to be professionals. So, I set an example for them, and they can come at any time of day to ask me something. If they want some words of wisdom or some knowledge in specific situations, I’m here.
I invited Tis and Vito to practice with me in Houston this summer. We’ll see how that goes, but I’m definitely trying to translate them as best I can. They are young, and I remember what I was like at their age; it’s crazy how young they are. They have good years ahead of them, and they just need good habits to get where they want to be.”
Slaven Rimac
“I respect the coach because he’s a “straight shooter”, you kno what I mean? He’ll tell you how he feels, exactly where and how we can attack, what problems we have, and so on. He’s very honest and knows from the player’s perspective what it’s like. For example, Sulli (Lewis Sullivan) didn’t start well in the game against Cedevita Olimpija, but he was on the court, and he let him find his rhythm.
Then when he couldn’t do that, he pulled him out and put him back in the fourth quarter, where he had a big stretch, and it shows that he knows what players go through. We can start slow, but it’s important how you finish the game. He gave Sulli a second chance, and he knows what kind of player he is and knows every game isn’t yours. If you can control some things, the tide will turn in your favor. Always.”
Differences in Coaching Approach
Srdan Subotic was on the bench for the ‘Yellow’ team before Rimac, and the only difference Shannon Shorter noticed between these two coaches is this:
“I think I said this to Sulli a few days ago; I think he gives more opportunities to young guys and allows room for mistakes from which you can learn. My opinion is that he thinks it wouldn’t translate well in the Croatian league where younger guys play. This is how friendships are formed, while with Suba, we played Ty (Tyrell Nelson), Sulli, and me, I mean, he kinda depended on veterans often, and it hindered the rotation a bit when we reached the finals where we met Zadar.”
Herculean Efforts
When you look at Split’s games this season in the ABA league, one thing stands out. It’s the minutes of the guy from Texas. Shannon Shorter has played games for over 40 minutes this year, and at the age of 34, that’s an incredible thing.
“There is no secret. I eat well, drink a lot of water. I rehab well, and for example, I had a game yesterday, and today I’m in the gym stretching and lifting weights. I activate my body that way, work on every muscle, and when I play, I can make sure that I’m at the top physically.”
Split and Rich History
“The only thing I knew about the history of Split was Toni Kukoč. I didn’t know much about coaches who left from here. I knew they won the EuroLeague three times in a row and that the club has a rich history. Other than that, I didn’t know much, and I didn’t have expectations. The only thing I expected was to win. My goal is to win the Cup, then the Croatian Championship, and to make it to the ABA league playoffs. Those are my only goals, and we can’t get too ahead of ourselves; let everything go day by day.”
Title
“It would mean more to the city than to me. They haven’t won it for 20 plus years. It’s something they are very hungry for. I only expect to win wherever I go. In the last six, seven, eight years, I think I’ve been in the final at least up to Split. Now I’m in a place where I expect to win. As for the city, I know they would love it because they talk about it very often, and that’s definitely the goal,” Shannon Shorter concluded the interview for Basketball Sphere.