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SALT LAKE CITY — It was right about the time that Lauri Markkanen caught a long ball with his hands at a soccer practice in his native Finland that he realized he might need to focus on one sport.
He was in middle school then, and had spent the last seven or eight years riding his bike between basketball and soccer practice. He was going through a major growth spurt, and already knew which sport he liked more. Then, suddenly, he had a hard time separating the two.
"I remember going straight from basketball practice to soccer practice, and on a long ball I caught it with my hands and (I thought), I'm not supposed to do this," said Markkanen, whose older brother, Eero, plays soccer professionally. "That's when it started hitting me — maybe it's time for just basketball."
Markkanen is a couple days from a likely All-Star bid, and it appears he made the right choice.
But why the soccer questions?
Monday was a unique day for the Utah Jazz. With the team in the midst of a rare three-day break, the team got a chance for a bit of fun (not to mention some company synergy). The Jazz welcomed Real Salt Lake, which is also partially owned by Jazz majority owner Ryan Smith, to the Zions Bank Basketball Campus for a crossover practice event.
The two squads participated in basketball drills together, and then separated so the Jazz could get some real work done (no offense to the basketball skills of Real Salt Lakers).
The teams held a similar event at Rio Tinto Stadium in September. On that one, the Jazz looked a bit silly; on Monday, it was RSL's turn to look a little out of place.
"I'd say we're both equally pretty bad (at the other's sport)," RSL defender Justen Glad said with a laugh.
He'll get no arguments from Jasper Loffelsend.
The midfielder is listed at 5-foot-11, but that might be pretty generous. There was a moment on Monday where he found himself in the center of some Jazz players, and he came to a realization: "I'm tiny."
"It's surreal for me how guys can be that tall and still move around like this," Loffelsend added.
🏴☠️ learning how to get buckets the JC way 🏴☠️#TakeNotepic.twitter.com/RGpor8HBk8
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 30, 2023
The clanking of missed shots aside (Glad and winger Justin Meram were mentioned as standouts from RSL) it was an enjoyable day for the pro soccer side, which will begin its season on February 25 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
"It's incredible even just talking to these guys, talking to the coach, and building that community," Glaad said.
And for the Jazz, it gave them a chance to reminisce on some soccer playing days, too.
Rookie wing Ochai Agbaji played on traveling teams all the way up to high school. During his sophomore season, he got a basketball scholarship offer from Miami of Ohio, and that altered his athletic path.
"I was like, you know, I can ever really do something with basketball more than soccer," Agbaji said.
He did say, though, that he felt the difference in his footwork on the court in college when he no longer was kicking a ball around consistently.
So who's the best soccer player on the Jazz?
"Me or Leo (Leandro Bolmaro)," Agbaji said. "Lauri has foot skills, he can juggle the ball. (Udoka Azubuike), obviously, knows how to play soccer, and Simone (Fontecchio), too. So we have some guys, but I think it's between Leo and I."
