NBA All-Star to fulfill mandatory military service for his native country

Jan 22, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen (24) warms up before the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

An NBA All-Star player plans to fulfill his duty to his native country.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen revealed in an interview with Ramona Shelburne of ESPN this week that he will be performing military service in his native Finland this summer. Service in the Finnish military is mandatory for all male citizens of the country and must be completed prior to the age of 30. Markkanen turns 26 later this year.

“It’s mandatory, we have to do it, but at the same time we take pride in it, too,” Markkanen was quoted as saying. “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.

“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,” he continued on. “You’re able to do your job working as an athlete and your basic training at the same time.”

Markkanen is scheduled to report to a military base in the southern part of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and will either be reporting on Apr. 17 or some time in July (depending on when Utah’s season ends). You can read Shelburne’s full report on Markkanen’s situation here.

The seven-footer Markkanen is currently having his best season in the NBA. He leads Utah with 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, numbers good enough for Markkanen to make his first career All-Star team this year.

Markkanen was born in Finland and played professionally in the country from 2014-16. He then made the jump to the United States, playing one season in college at Arizona before being selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. Markkanen has already had many memorable moments in his career but will now be using the offseason to serve his native country.