Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen has been named Finland’s athlete of the year. He is the first basketball player ever to win the award. This adds to his already extensive list of first-time achievements for Finnish basketball players. Markkanen was the first Finnish player to be drafted in the NBA, and just about everything he’s done since then has been a first for his country.
VUODEN URHEILIJA 2023 KIITOS u2764ufe0f pic.twitter.com/EMrlJSzjXM
— Lauri Markkanen (@MarkkanenLauri) January 11, 2024
Markkanen’s win comes on the tail of a breakout 2023 season in which he was a starter in the NBA All-Star game and awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player.