Lauri Markkanen: The time is now for Finland to end Olympic dry spell
In an interview with Olympics.com, the versatile Utah Jazz forward discusses how he wants to lead Finland's charge at FIBA World Cup 2023 - and Paris 2024, hopefully.
Basketball
After 60 years, Lauri Markkanen thinks the wait should be over: it’s time for Finland to return to Olympic basketball.
“I think we go in, try to win every single game that we face,” Markkanen told Olympic.com, ahead of Finland’s FIBA World Cup 2023 opener against Australia in Okinawa on Friday (25 August).
“We’ll see where we are after the World Cup but we’re trying to have a great tournament and we’ll see what happens after that.
“But obviously it would mean a ton to be a part of that kind of competition at the highest level. So hopefully we get there.
“It’s been a while - but it would be about time.”
It was on Japanese soil where Markkanen currently stands that Finland last appeared at an Olympic Games in 1964, when they finished 11th.
Hungry like the wolf
The “Wolf Pack” as they are called, the Finns only debuted at the World Cup in 2014. Okinawa will be the second time they set foot on this stage, off the heels of a strong quarter-final showing at EuroBasket last year.
It’s of no coincidence Finland’s recent rise has been paralleled by the ascent of Markkanen, the sixth-year forward with the Utah Jazz.
The 26-year-old is coming off a banner campaign in which he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after averaging 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in his first season with the Jazz. He also earned his first All-Star nod.
Markkanen’s breakthrough came after an impressive EuroBasket where he averaged 27.9 points and eight boards per game in leading Finland to the last eight for the first time in 55 years.
Markkanen says a summer of international duty is a great way to hone or raise one’s game, but wants to make clear that is not the reason why he is in the tropics of Okinawa.
He is here for one thing and one thing only - to win.
“I’ve always thought that FIBA basketball has been a great launching pad to reach a new level - take the confidence to another level,” said the 2.13-metre man nicknamed “The Finnisher.”
“But obviously that’s not the main thing we’re doing here. We’re not here to just build confidence or anything like that. We’re trying to win games and go far in the tournament.”
Lauri Markkanen and Finland are ready to soar.
Honour and hoops
Markkanen is not only coming off a flagship year but also time servicing his military, which he started as soon as his NBA season ended in April.
The former University of Arizona standout has 35 days left of his service, which he plans to fulfill by year’s end.
Markkanen said military duty has been a breath of fresh air for him, but there’s no question which one is tougher, the daily grind of the NBA or serving his country.
“I’m still officially in it but right now I’m focused on basketball,” he said. “It’s been a good experience so far, learning new stuff and getting my mind off basketball for sure. I got to meet new people, made a lot of friends and a lot of practical skills that I learned.
“(The NBA and military) present a different type of challenge for sure, mental and physical challenges that you have to overcome.
“But I would have to say basketball because I haven’t reached maximum heart rate in the military yet - and I’ve definitely done that in basketball workouts.”
Finland are in Group E with Australia, Germany and tournament co-hosts Japan, considered by many to be the toughest of the eight pools.
Markkanen and Finland, however, remain unfazed by the opposition - or the prospects of ending an Olympic drought spanning six decades.
“We got a lot of confidence, I think. We’ve gotten a lot better, spent a ton of time together.
“We have an athletic group of guys that can shoot the ball really well, run out in transition and make each other better, just willing passers.
“I’m really confident going into the tournament with this team.”