Utah Jazz main man Lauri Markkanen is all geared up to empower and charge Finland in the upcoming FIBA World Cup tilt this year.
In an interview with Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto, Markkanen confirmed that he’ll join the Finnish national team, expressing his desire to compete against other 31 basketball nations around the world.
“Yeah,” Markkanen answered when asked by Scotto if he will join Finland in the World Cup. “That was a big thing for us. I think we were the first country other than the host country to qualify. That’s our first-time basketball performance-wise qualifying.
“It was a big thing for us. I always want to represent the country, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Finland, the current no. 24 nation in the latest FIBA World Rankings, is indeed the first European program to book a seat in the World Cup tourney this 2023. They qualified in courtesy of their top-two storming finish in their Qualifiers’ group, tallying a 9-3 card.
The Susijengi are on a mission to deliver a strong performance for this year’s World Cup after missing the 2019 FIBA Championships in China. Under the guidance of head coach Lassi Tuovi, they will certainly follow the strong command of the All-Star Jazzman in Markkanen, with Sasu Salin, Mikael Jantunen, and Edon Maxhuni set to contribute mightily.
For now, Markkanen and The Wolf Pack will look forward to which group they will land, as the draw for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will take place in Manila, Philippines this Apr. 29.
