Some athletes may take a vacation or hone their craft in the offseason. Lauri Markkanen’s plan for the summer is vastly different.
As reported by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Utah Jazz’s forward is planning to travel to his native Finland to fulfill his military requirement. In Finland, military service is required by males, and it must be completed by age 30.
“It’s mandatory, we have to do it, but at the same time we take pride in it too,” Markkanen told Shelburne. “I think it sets an example to serve.”
The 25-year-old Markkanen had previously planned to fulfill his service requirement after his last season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Cavaliers made the play-in tournament last April, conflicting with his reporting date.
On the court, Markkanen has enjoyed a breakout season during his first year in Utah. In 66 games, he is averaging a career-high 25.6 points per game and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 49.9% from the field. In the process, he earned his first career All-Star bid. He was acquired by the Jazz as part of the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland last July.
Entering Thursday, the Jazz are sitting at 36-43, placing them as the 12th seed in the Western Conference. However, they are only 1.5 games out of the play-in tournament with three games left in the regular season.
According to Shelburne, Markkanen’s reporting date depends on when Utah’s season ends. If they do not make the postseason, he expects to report on April 17, or in July if the team makes the playoffs.
In addition to his military service, Markkanen has said that he plans to represent Finland in the FIBA World Cup starting in August. And he says he does not plan to have his service interfere with his responsibilities as an NBA player.
“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. “You’re able to do your job working as an athlete and your basic training at the same time.”
Shelburne adds that the base that Markkanen will report to, the Defence Forces Sports School, is one where many high-level athletes attend to complete their service.
