The Finnish national basketball team will be led by NBA star and Utah Jazz player Lauri Markkanen at the upcoming European Championship. The Jazz finished the season with a 17-65 record, the worst record in the NBA, so Markkanen has plenty of time to recover from his injury and prepare for the continental tournament.
And for the second time in eight years, the group stage matches of the European Championship will be played in Finland. Unlike 2017, when the matches were played in Helsinki, this year the host will be Tampere. In addition to the host, Montenegro, Germany, Lithuania, Sweden and Great Britain will also compete for a place in the round of XNUMX from Group B. Four teams advance from the group and go to the knockout stage, which will be held in the capital of Latvia - Riga.
"I'm having a great summer with the Finnish national team. I'm excited about it," said Markanen, who is eagerly awaiting the start of EuroBasket.
Markkanen emphasized that playing for the national team means a lot to him. He added that playing for the national team helps him prepare for the NBA season as best as possible.
"I always felt my best when I played for the national team before the NBA season. To be honest, that's when I feel my best both physically and mentally. I can't wait for the summer and playing with the national team," Markanen said honestly.
The Utah basketball player expects Finland to have a good result at the continental competition.
"We have a good team. I hope we will achieve a good result and achieve great success," said Markanen.
He also recalled the 2017 EuroBasket. Then, Finland won second place in Group A, which was played in Helsinki, with only one defeat. The Finns lost only to Slovenia in the group, and defeated France, Poland, Iceland and Greece. Then, in the round of XNUMX, in Istanbul, they were defeated by Italy.
"I remember EuroBasket 2017. The stands were full at every game. It was fun, and the games were really competitive," recalled Markkanen, who averaged 19 points and 5,9 rebounds in the NBA this season. He has had problems with injuries, so he has played a total of 47 games this season.
Montenegro will play a third round match against Finland at EuroBasket, and that match is scheduled for August 30th.
The European Championship is scheduled from August 27 to September 14.
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