Lauri Markkanen shaves his head for Finnish military originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Lauri Markkanen will report Monday to fulfill his mandatory service in the Finnish military. And in doing so, photos emerged of his shaved head in preparation for his report to Helsinki.
Markkanen, 25, doesn't believe his participation will affect his training for next season. Finnish citizens are required to partake in military service before the age of 30.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
"It's mandatory, we have to do it, but at the same time we take pride in it, too," said Markkanen, 25. "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."
Surely, he'll want to return to the floor after a monstrous season with the Utah Jazz. He averaged 25.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game to earn himself a finalist spot for the NBA's Most Improved Player award. Earlier in the season, he received his first All-Star nod in the Western Conference, too.
Originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 7 pick in the 2017 draft, he spent the first four years of his career in Chicago. He avearged 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and and 1.2 assists per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
The Bulls elected to trade Markkanen in a sign-and-trade move to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Derrick Jones Jr. and draft capital. Shortly after playing in Cleveland, the Cavaliers traded him to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell. There, he's thrived and is one of the young pieces Danny Ainge and the Jazz front office hope to build around.
