For the first time, Finland sees itself playing a semifinal in EuroBasket. The journey has been magical, including a glorious win against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. However, Lauri Markkanen and Co. face their toughest test yet. They are drawn against Germany, the favorites to win it all. In their group stage meeting, the Germans prevailed in a dominant 30-point victory.

But Markkanen doesn’t believe in living in the past. He sees this as Finland’s opportunity to rise. He wants to be the beacon to grow basketball in his home country. His inspiration, ironically, is the man who exuded such passion for the game in Germany.

“I’ve talked with him a couple of times; he’s a great guy, and he was a great player. I’m just trying to do something similar to what he did. He was one of the all-time gre

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