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SALT LAKE CITY — Lauri Markkanen will have a different workout regime this offseason: military training.
The Utah Jazz All-Star forward intends to fulfill his mandatory service in the Finnish military this offseason, KSL.com confirmed. ESPN was the first to report of Markkanen's intent.
In Finland, military service is mandatory for all male citizens, and it must be completed by the age 30.
Markkanen, 25, will either report for his service on April 17 or sometime in July, according to ESPN. He's scheduled to report to the Defense Forces Sports School, a base located in the southern part of Helsinki that enables athletic training during service.
"It's mandatory. We have to do it, but at the same, time we take pride in it, too," Markkanen told ESPN. "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."
Markkanen initially postponed his service while he went to college at the University of Arizona. It further got pushed due to commitments to the Finnish national team. He planned to report last spring, but those plans changed when the Cleveland Cavaliers made the play-in tournament.
Last April, 98 Finnish athletes, including some ice hockey athletes to basketball players and cross-country skiers, began their military service. It's normal for Finnish NHL players to report over the summer — with some even splitting their time between a couple summers. Markkanen may have to do something similar.
No matter the case, hearing about his impending service did raise some teammates' eyebrows.
"Yeah, I mean, that's something we're not accustomed to here or in Canada," said Kelly Olynyk as he sported a disbelieving smile. "Lauri's a stand-up citizen so he is going to do whatever he has to do to serve his country, and I commend him for that. A lot of guys here wouldn't wouldn't do it or would try to get out of it. I don't really have another comment on that. It's crazy to hear."
