Lauri Markkanen - Utahin Marsalkka: All-NBA Snub

[Swuul]

Lauri Markkanen will play on Thursday with Team Finland against Team Sweden. In Finland the match can be viewed on Channel 4, stream can be viewed on https://www.ruutu.fi/

Outside Finland the match stream can legally be viewed at least on https://www.courtside1891.basketball/ and other sites, and the Internet is of course full of sites which are not as strict about legal procedures. Highlights etc of the match can be viewed for free on the FIBA site https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers

Neither Finland or Sweden are exactly Basketball super-powers. Still, Finland is leading Group C in the European division (having lost only one match, which was to Sweden), while Sweden has succeeded to win only two matches (of which the other was vs Finland). As it is in all sports, when Finland and Sweden meet, there is that extra special thingy going on, as both want to win against their dear neighbour (as the saying goes in both countries "It doesn't matter if we don't win this, as long as we don't lose to Sweden/Finland" (depending on if you are a finn or swede saying it)).

Both teams have an identity of tough five man defense, and both teams have some pretty decent 3p shooters (by European standards). In this spesific match Finland has an NBA level player in Lauri Markkanen, and Sweden should field Jonas Jerebko. Other players in both teams are either professional players from different European teams or players from USA Colleges.

Not exactly an all-star match to be expected thus, but it will be interesting to see Lauri Markkanen play in front of the fanatical Finnish home crowd again; it has been way too long for the Finnish fans, and I presume the crowd to be even more louder than usually (and the crowd is pretty loud even usually).

EDIT: Ah, Jonas Jerebko has been kicked out from Team Sweden already in March, as he opted to play in Russia for the rest of the season in support of Putin's war. Thus no big names playing for Sweden on Thursday.

 

[cabs]

Army passport, draft inspection, travelling in the autumn, orders to step in.. it’s possible I live a very sheltered life

 

[Swuul]

Army passport, draft inspection, travelling in the autumn, orders to step in.. it’s possible I live a very sheltered life

It sounds pretty alien, I guess, but it really isn't that mysterious. Effectively any finnish male can say they don't want to go to the army because of ethical reasons, but it is heavily built in the culture (in large parts of the country it is still seen pretty much as the initiation rite for adulthood), and these days more and more females (for whome the Army is voluntary) too do the service.

As for me travelling in the Autumn, the reason is I and my wife are enteprenaurs, and we can't close our shop during summer. So we have already for decades travelled in the Autumn (besides, it is much cheaper then, as the tourist season is over everywhere then, and you can get suites with full upkeep compared the price of a basic hotel room during tourist-season ).

 

[Sebastian]

It sounds pretty alien, I guess, but it really isn't that mysterious. Effectively any finnish male can say they don't want to go to the army because of ethical reasons, but it is heavily built in the culture (in large parts of the country it is still seen pretty much as the initiation rite for adulthood), and these days more and more females (for whome the Army is voluntary) too do the service.

As for me travelling in the Autumn, the reason is I and my wife are enteprenaurs, and we can't close our shop during summer. So we have already for decades travelled in the Autumn (besides, it is much cheaper then, as the tourist season is over everywhere then, and you can get suites with full upkeep compared the price of a basic hotel room during tourist-season ).

Service in (actual) defense of the country is a truly honorable practice.

I really admire this tradition in Finland and Sweden (at least until the Swedes ended conscription, and now have slowly restarted it).

One wonders if universal service could be of use in the US.

One notes that during the Cold War, when the US had mandatory service, that the military served as a school of the nation, and that cracks in the Cold War Consensus occurred when Baby Boomer politicians with no service history took over.

It is much harder to hate your fellow citizen when you've shed sweat and blood together.

 

[Swuul]

It has been nice past few years to see/hear my sons tell the tales of theirs service; in many ways it seems to be similar to what it was in my days. My second son had in his room of eight (well, that has changed, back when I was in service, the full platoon did share one single large room, these days they share room with squadmates) one of the richest men in Finland who had never made his bed or even tied his shoe-laces (he had people to do stuff like that) and another guy from the woods (who had been in home-school, ie your average hill-billy in every possible way) who had never seen a shower or a water closet, and a guy from Turkey (but having finnish citizenship) who didn't speak a single word of Finnish (and even English poorly). They all bonded strongly, and keep in touch with each other, despite living *very* different lives; if it wasn't for the service time in the Army those people would never ever have met each other, and I think it is damn sure their world-views have changed while they have spent time together.

 

[red.]

 

[Sebastian]

It has been nice past few years to see/hear my sons tell the tales of theirs service; in many ways it seems to be similar to what it was in my days. My second son had in his room of eight (well, that has changed, back when I was in service, the full platoon did share one single large room, these days they share room with squadmates) one of the richest men in Finland who had never made his bed or even tied his shoe-laces (he had people to do stuff like that) and another guy from the woods (who had been in home-school, ie your average hill-billy in every possible way) who had never seen a shower or a water closet, and a guy from Turkey (but having finnish citizenship) who didn't speak a single word of Finnish (and even English poorly). They all bonded strongly, and keep in touch with each other, despite living *very* different lives; if it wasn't for the service time in the Army those people would never ever have met each other, and I think it is damn sure their world-views have changed while they have spent time together.

It is amazing the people you meet.

In my Basic Training platoon we had poor kids from inner cities right out of High School, hillbillies, kids from rural Montana and Alaska, a number of guys with bachelor and masters degrees, a German Baron, a 36 year-old school teacher and a guy that used to be a stunt driver in Hollywood.

 

[Douglar]

It is amazing the people you meet.

In my Basic Training platoon we had poor kids from inner cities, hillbillies, kids from rural Montana and Alaska, a number of guys with bachelor and masters degrees, a German Baron, a 36 year-old school teacher and a guy that used to be a stunt driver in Hollywood.

You would be the German Baron? And the 36 year-old school teacher ?

 

[Sebastian]

You would be the German Baron? And the 36 year-old school teacher ?

View attachment 10634

Definitely not a teacher, or 36 then!

 

[Swuul]

First quarter of the match FIN-SWE played, Sweden is leading 29-19. Lauri seems to be rusty as heck, and was taken out pretty soon. Sweden has dropped in 6 of 8 3p,so it might not be sustainable...

 

[Swuul]

2nd quarter, Lauri has woken up. Three steals in three consecutive Swedish attacks, and now a monster dunk. This might still turn to something good

 

[Swuul]

After 2nd quarter Sweden leads with 46-43. Lauri played much better now in defence. Offensively the rust is visible, only scores from the dunk and freethrows. Big issue is that his teammates do not seem to find him when he is facing a much smaller player; before the match Lauri was able to practice only three times with the team, and it shows.

 

[Swuul]

After 3rd Finland leads 69-54. Lauri was in flames (though he was switched off after around half of the quarter was played) and now leads points made. He also has a few steals, assists and rebounds, so he is basically stepping up to the expectations.

 

[Swuul]

Finland wins 85-69. Lauri scored 22 points, and played a very strong 3rd and 4th. Hard to say where he currently is, very obviously was extremely rusty. Still, also very clear star of the match, and he did step up to the role expected of him

 

[rastamon87]

RCF more interested on how many pretty Finnish and Sweddish women watching the game... lol