Jazz star Lauri Markkanen officially reports for mandatory military service in Finland
Military service is required for all male citizens of Finland by the age of 30
Lauri Markkanen officially reported for duty on Monday morning, shaved head and all.
The Utah Jazz star reported to a Finnish military base near Helsinki on Monday to complete his mandatory service — something that is required for all male citizens of Finland by the age of 30.
"It's mandatory,” Markkanen told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne earlier this month. “We have to do it, but at the same time we take pride in it, too. I think it sets an example to serve. And I'm confident I can do it in a way that it's not going to affect my preparation for next season, either."
Markkanen had already postponed his service multiple times, first in college when he was playing at Arizona and again while he was competing with the Finnish national team. He was planning to complete his service last summer, but the Cleveland Cavaliers made the play-in tournament and that conflicted with his reporting date. The Jazz did not make the postseason this spring.
The 25-year-old is going to train at the Defense Forces’ Sports School, whose main task “is to train reconnaissance squads for emergency and wartime conditions,” per ESPN. Many people at the school are other athletes like Markkanen.
Markkanen was born in Vantaa, which sits just outside of Helsinki. Finland officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) earlier this month amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland and Russia share a border that spans more than 800 miles.
Markkanen had a career season with the Jazz in 2022-23. He put up 25.6 points per game, which shattered his previous career high, and averaged 8.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in Utah. He is halfway through a four-year, $67 million deal he first signed with the Chicago Bulls, who traded for him on draft night in 2017 after the Minnesota Timberwolves took him with the No. 7 overall pick. He was traded to Cleveland in the summer of 2021 before Utah landed him in a 2022 trade.
"Of course I'd rather be working out like I normally do [in the offseason], but I've heard they do a good job of combining the two,” Markkanen said, via ESPN. “You're able to do your job working as an athlete and your basic training at the same time."
