With less than a week left in the regular season and on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen is prepared to have a slightly different offseason routine than in years past.
Markkanen told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that he plans on fulfilling his mandatory military service for his native Finland this offseason. The country requires all male citizens to meet their military obligations by age 30.
Markkanen, 25, said he doesn’t anticipate the requirement to impact his readiness for next season.
“It’s mandatory, we have to do it, but at the same time we take pride in it, too,” Markkanen said. “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.”
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Markkanen will report for duty on April 17 or sometime in July, depending on when the Jazz’s season ends. He is scheduled to be stationed at a base in southern Helsinki.
Markkanen postponed his military service while he was in college, and his plans to report last year were thrown off when the Cavaliers made the play-in tournament.
“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,” Markkanen said. “You’re able to do your job working as an athlete and your basic training at the same time.”
The 2017 first-round pick was traded from Cleveland to Utah in September, and has enjoyed a breakout campaign. He’s averaged 25.6 points per game while shooting 49.9% from the field—both career-highs. His performance earned him his first All-Star nod.
