SALT LAKE CITY. The plane from Memphis to Salt Lake City lands on schedule. After all, Utah’s air traffic hub is known for punctuality.
Every year, more than 20 million passengers see the snow-capped mountains rising behind the runway. The rugged and barren landscape is located in the state of Utah at an altitude of about 1,300 meters above sea level.
Now travelers are greeted by the city’s new star, Lauri Markkanen. The face of the star player of the famous basketball club Utah Jazz immediately stumbles upon the first giant advertising banner that comes his way.
It is only a few kilometers from the airport to the heart of Salt Lake City. On the opposite side of the city center, the mountains rise even higher than near the airport. Twin Peaks (3,500 meters) is the highest point in the entire state of Utah.
The TV series of the same name aired in the early 1990s. At that time, the Jazz made their rise to the elite of the NBA of John Stockton and Karl Malone’s under. The duo led the Jazz to the series finals twice, but the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan prevented the championship celebration both times.
Twin Peaks returned in 2017, when the third season of the series appeared. In the same year, Markkanen was reserved for the NBA. The young man’s journey had first taken him from Jyväskylä to Helsinki and from there to Chicago, where he started playing in the world’s toughest basketball league in the fall of 2017.
If the planes in Salt Lake happen to be on schedule, so is Markkanen’s basketball career. Right now, it is flying higher than ever, as evidenced by the recent selection to the NBA All-Star Game. It will be played next night Finnish time in Salt Lake after a 30-year hiatus.
The stands are already full during rehearsals
The star weekend kicked off properly on Saturday morning. Markkanen stepped in front of a large audience for the first time during the training of the western team. The Jon M. Huntsman Arena on the University of Utah campus was packed. As many as 15,000 tickets were sold for the practice session open to the public.
The arena was opened in 1969. The arena got its current name in 1987 from a local businessman By Jon M. Huntsman, who was known not only as a pothead, but also as a benefactor. Huntsman donated large sums to cancer research, for example. He had four cancers and died five years ago at the age of 80.
Now one of the most famous names in the city of 200,000 inhabitants is Finnish. Markkanen, 25, is just getting used to his role in the brightest spotlight. His talent and work ethic have been known for years, but this season the man has risen to superstardom.
– When I started basketball, I couldn’t even dream that something like this could be possible, Markkanen describes the situation.
He has had intermediate goals along the way. Only one of the goals once written on paper has not been realized, because he skipped the Finnish league and went to North America.
– Then when I got to the NBA, I had to develop new goals. One of them was getting into the all star game. The goals are growing all the time, but I have come a long way when I think that it all started at Kjärmäki school in Jyväskylä. The journey has been great, but the good part is that the journey is just beginning.
The goal of an all-star selection was realized in the sixth NBA season of his career. At the end of the summer, the shock transfer from the ranks of the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Utah Jazz turned out to be a perfect match for Markkanen. He was ready to be the face of the team and a decisive player.
In the regular season, Markkanen plays night after night against the biggest names in the sport, but now in the star event, the Finn can take it a little more relaxed. There is no result pressure.
Before the start of light training, Markkanen laughs at the two-time MVP of the series Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) with. The Sacramento Kings are also the talk club De’Aaron Fox.
– Haven’t had time to hang out much yet. I’m looking forward to spending time with the other players, Markkanen says on Saturday.
It’s not about the actual practice, but mainly about introducing yourself to the fans who have arrived. After the practice, the fans are disappointed, as the players are immediately taken to the arena for testing by reporters.
There is enough buzz around Markkanen. Dozens of journalists swarm in front of him, trying to ask the Finnish star their own question.
The subjects of the questions move between earth and heaven. An American journalist asked Markkanes why he didn’t become a hockey player, like the forward of the Colorado Avalanche From Mikko Rantase. In total, the media rotation takes about half an hour, after which Markkanen is directed behind the screen.
– Not here, let’s move on, Markkanen says with a smile.
– I’m just trying to enjoy all of this. The family is involved here, so what could be better.
Markkanes is often asked how many sacrifices he has made during his life for basketball. Suomalaistahtih turns the setting on its head.
– We always talk about not being able to go out with friends, but having to go to work out. It would have been a sacrifice for me to go so badly into the discomfort zone that I would have gone somewhere with my friends. My best friends have always been from chorus training, and I’ve enjoyed that more than anything else, he tells Urheilu.
Praise from the Slovenian ball expert
In the star event, the cameras follow the players everywhere and the days are scheduled down to the minute.
The Dallas Mavericks’ back gets even more attention than Markka Luka Doncicwho has been impressed by the Finnish player’s achievements in the NBA.
– Lauri is a very good player. During this year, he has shown what kind of player he is in the NBA. Lauri has taken a big step as a player, even though he was already good before. He has played brilliantly, the Slovenian answers Doncic to a question posed by Urheilu.
Suomalaisjät’s days are spent shooting commercials and doing various interviews or recording podcasts.
The presenters of the main part of the star match naturally have the means of luxury. Markkanen wanted to live in a home instead of a hotel, where his entire family from Finland is a guest.
Urheilu was able to participate on Friday, when Markkanen traveled from his home to private throwing exercises. Father from the Markkanen family Pekka and older brothers Miika and Eero went to follow the finishing practice of the youngest in the brother series. Also Riga– mother flew to the place from Finland. Markkanen wanted his whole family to come to Salt Lake City to witness the historic weekend.
– It means a lot that they are here. I would never have been able to achieve such a feat on my own. It’s great that they are here and it’s really nice that we can celebrate this election a little together. It’s a big deal for me when everyone got enough time off from work to come here to watch the game, Markkanen emphasizes the importance of family.
Former national team player Pekka Markkanen could only wonder how Lauri was being torn from place to place.
– He hasn’t even had time to sleep much. Absolutely terrible going! However, he is in a positive frame of mind, Father Markkanen blesses.
The experienced basketball player is in a good mood.
– Lauri takes the award for the best player in the all-stars match, so we get a little weight behind the car, Pekka Markkanen sculpts.
A large minivan passes the police guard and enters the sliding doors of the huge exhibition center. Markkanes has a car with a driver organized by the NBA throughout the weekend.
The Utah Jazz’s Vivint arena serves as the stage for the all-star game, from which the parquet has been moved to a nearby exhibition center. There, Markkasen has the opportunity to prepare for Saturday night’s three-point shooting competition.
Jazz’s pitching coach and masseuse and as many as eight ball returners have arrived for Markkas. In addition, the DJ plays the music of the throwing competition every time a Finn throws.
The accurate Finn knocks in threes with incredible accuracy for 40 minutes. In the best practice round, Markkanen collects no less than 34 points, while the maximum score in the throwing competition is 40. The pace must be kept fast, because there is only one minute to complete.
– Well now! With this kind of performance, you should be high in the race, Markkanen exclaims to his brothers after the performance.
In the end, the journey of the Finn in the triple race itself was interrupted in the first round. The title of the most accurate player went to the Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard.
The rebirth of Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen 2.0 was born at the European basketball championships in Prague and Berlin at the beginning of last September. Markkanen was traded to the Utah Jazz in a trade to Donovan Mitchellwho is also involved in the all star event.
The trade took place less than a day before the opening match of the European Championship against Israel. Markkanen played the tournament with quite a bit of passion. Susijeng’s biggest star scored no less than 28 points per game and grabbed 8 rebounds. Under his leadership, Finland progressed to the quarterfinals.
The union that started at the European Championship has lasted the whole season. Under Markkanen’s leadership, the Jazz are still fighting for a playoff spot, even though before the start of the season the team was labeled as one of the NBA’s throwaway bags.
Already the first conversations with the Jazz’s 35-year-old head coach Will Hardy’s and gave Markkanen important information about his position in the new club.
– Will said that he wants me to play for Jazz in the same way as for the national team in the European Championships. It gave an insane boost to playing. Right from the first practice, I wanted to get my place in the team. The coaching staff and teammates have helped a lot because they accepted our way of playing, says Markkanen about the birth of the sensational season.
The first moments of the season already showed that Markkanen is the biggest star of his team. The Finn’s long-range game coughed up at the beginning of the season, but Markkanen still put up strong numbers on the board night after night. The pace only accelerated when the voting for the star match players began in December.
After the NBA stopped for the all-star break, Markkanen had scored 24.9 points per game for his team with high shooting percentages.
Markkanen is currently a marked man. Opponents look to slow him down because that’s the best way to beat the Jazz.
– I am aware of my position. I have to carry the team. It makes me play aggressively and give my all for the team. Fortunately, we have other good players who can also win matches, so I don’t always need a top game. However, I always go into the game with the attitude that I am the best player on the field, Markkanen says.
In the top leagues, head coaches are used to praising their star players. It’s part of the pattern.
In the case of Will Hardy, the pilot of jazz, there is no need to question the sincerity of the beautiful words. Hardy told Urheilu that the faith in Markkanen’s selection as an all-star started to grow stronger around 25 games, i.e. at the beginning of December.
– One mark of a top player in the NBA is what you can do when your best option is taken away. There are a lot of good players and coaches in the NBA who don’t let you make your best move every time, Hardy assesses and praises Markkanen’s skills and adaptability.
In the NBA, Markkanen’s understanding of the game has developed to excellent. He recognizes situations and knows how to make the right decisions.
In some matches, Markkanes is required to make a lot of aggressive drives towards the basket. On the second night, the opponent might be a suffocating defense that offers Markkanen the opportunity to spread the game and shoot threes.
Back in Chicago and Cleveland, the Finn was planted in the role of long thrower. In Utah, Markkanen is known specifically for his versatility.
The basis of everything is solid self-confidence.
– Nowadays, I can say after every throw that the ball goes into the basket. The feeling remains the same even if I missed the first seven threes. I have also done a lot of things on the spiritual side for these things, says Markkanen.
The Jyväskylä native enjoys his situation and position in Jazz. Even more is expected of him in the future.
Now Markkanen is offered the big boots left by Conley as the manager of the Jazz.
– As a leader, Mike was what he is. I don’t give big motivational speeches in front of the team. I’d rather go to a time-out between the two of us to talk through a situation. It comes naturally to me. The biggest thing in this job is being able to be yourself.
Next night in the all-star match, Markkanen can focus on enjoying instead of leading. The man’s smile will probably only get wider when he gets to realize his dream in front of his home crowd. Salt Lake City has a new hero.