Michael Maclurcan
The NBA team that Lauri Elias Markkanen plays for is the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is a professional basketball player from Finland.
Lauri Markkanen | Early Life and Education
Lauri Markkanen was raised in Jyväskylä, Finland. In his junior year, he started playing basketball for his neighborhood team Honshu.
He also competed for the HBA-Märsky in Finland’s second-tier league from 2014 to 2016.
Similarly, Lauri Markkanen was born to Pekka and Riikka Markkanen on May 22, 1997. His father was a basketball player from Finland.
Moreover, His younger brother is also a sportsman named Eero Pekka Sakari Markkanen. Eero is a professional football player for Orange County, SC. It appears that the Markkanen family was raised to excel in sports.
Markkanen attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He also took part in this activity for the Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team.
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Lauri Markkanen | Age, Height, and Weight
Lauri is a 25-year-old female who weighs 109 kg and stands 6 feet, 11 inches tall.
His Body Mass Index (BMI) is within the normal range for a 24-year-old male. Markkanen can compete with the NBA’s top players thanks to his tall and slender frame. Also, He has blonde hair and black colored eyes to match his fair complexion.
Lauri Markkanen | Basketball Career
College Career
Lauri began playing for the Arizona Wildcats on October 17, 2015, after participating at the junior levels in Finland. Sadly, he didn’t join until after the 2016–17 season.
He signed a contract to play for the Wildcats on November 11. ESPN.com believed that the young Finnish talent will be a draft prospect for the NBA.
Since Mike Bibby, he was the first player to don the Wildcats’ number 10 jersey. Because of his great stature, he was able to make a significant contribution to his team.
Additionally, according to SB Nation, he was among the best shooting 7-footers in college basketball. He won the Pac-12 Player of the Week and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors in January 2017.
The honors he received did not stop there as he was also named to the pre-season Karl Malone Award Watchlist, Karl Malone Award Finalist, and Naismith Award Watchlist.
Additionally, he was added to the midseason watch lists for the Oscar Robertson Award, the Wayman Tisdale Award, the Wooden Award, and the Wooden Arad Midseason Top 25.
The top 15 contenders for the John R. Wooden Award included Markkanen. The first 30-point game of his career was against Arizona State, a fierce rival.
On March 6, 2017, the Associated Press, N.B.C. Sports, USA Today, and The Sporting News selected Markkanen for the third-team All-American. He was also selected for the Pac-12’s first team.
The player from Finland declared for the 2017 NBA draft. Then he announced that following his final three years of college, he would depart Arizona.
The Minnesota Timberwolves also selected Markkanen in the draft. In the first round of the draft, he was taken eighth.
Off to Berlin! Kiitos #6pelaaja ihan käsittämättömästä viikosta! ? #Susijengi #EuroBasket22 pic.twitter.com/mtuWy9KLv0
— Lauri Markkanen (@MarkkanenLauri) September 8, 2022
Rookie Season
On July 5, 2017, contracts were exchanged between the bulls and Markkanen. He made his official NBA debut on October 19, 2017, and scored 17 points.
The 7-footer broke an NBA record in his rookie season by being the first player to make the most 3-pointers in his first three professional games.
Former NBA player Brian Scalabrine permitted Markkanen to use his number since he wanted to wear the 24 jerseys.
Two weeks after scoring 24 points in a game against the Charlotte Hornets, he scored 25 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Also, Markkanen outscored the Indiana Pacers by a career-high 32 points while pulling down 7 rebounds.
He shattered his previous career record with 33 points and a career-high 8 three-pointers in an amazing victory over the New York Knicks.
In addition, He was only the second 7-foot player, after Dirik Nowitzki, to make eight three-pointers in a game.
During a game against the Los Angeles Lakers Lauri blocked three shots tying a career-high. He also defeated the Orlando Magic in February with a score of 21 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies in March with a score of 22 points.
When the Milwaukee Bucks were defeated on January 28, 2018, Markkanen led all other Finnish NBA players in scoring with 17 points.
Compared to Hanno Möttölä, he was better. His selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team was announced by the NBA on May 22, 2018.
Proceeding with Chicago Bulls
He missed the first 23 games of his second season with the Chicago Bulls due to an elbow injury he suffered in the preseason.
However, he bounced back by pulling down a career-high 19 rebounds in a challenging game against the Brooklyn Nets. In a different game, Markkanen led the Bulls to win over Brooklyn with 31 points and 18 rebounds.
When the Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics on February 23, Markkanen scored a career-high 35 points and 15 rebounds. Then He went on to have a productive season after that, upsetting the Atlanta Hawks in March with over 30 points, 32 points, and 17 rebounds.
Unfortunately, on March 26 while competing against the Toronto Raptors, the 7-foot athlete had health problems. After that, he was officially ruled out for the duration of the 2018–19 season, which was a major setback for him and his team.
Lauri participated in 52 games despite being unwell and hurt. His numbers were still impressive; with 18.7 points, he was the second-best scorer on the squad, and with 9.0 boards, he was the leading rebounder.
He finished fourth in the NBA with 20 double-doubles, the most for the Bulls.
In his third season with the Bulls, which was a resounding success, he tied his career best of 35 points and 17 rebounds. But the Charlotte Hornets won, and his team lost by a single point.
Since Michael Jordan achieved it in 1995, the Chicago Bulls scored more points on opening night versus the Hornets than any other team.
Final Season
After two seasoned big men named Daniel Theis and Nikola Vuevi were introduced in 2021, Markkanen lost his starting position. They were included to improve the frontcourt for the Bulls club.
For the second time in his 194-game career and for the first time in his fourth season, Markkanen had 13 points, six rebounds, and an assist.
Unfortunately, the Bulls were defeated 116-102 by the Golden State Warriors.
After being dropped from the starting lineup and seeing less action, Markkanen started to play as the small forward.
On April 12 against the Memphis Grizzlies, he used a zero score for the first time in his career.
Cleveland Cavaliers
After seeing little time with the Chicago Bulls, Markkanen was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers on August 28, 2021.
Three teams participated in a sign-and-trade that included the Portland Trail Blazers.
Junior National Team
With the Finnish U-18 national team, Markkanen made his debut on the international stage in 2015. He also took part in the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in 2015.
He was the team’s Under-18 leader in the summer of 2015, averaging 18.2 points per game.
Markkanen finished the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship with the most points scored. He was selected for the All-Tournament Team and scored 24.9 points on average per game.
Senior National Team
At the 2017 EuroBasket, “The Finisher” made his debut for the senior team. His country of origin hosted a portion of this competition.
Unfortunately, the Finnish team was only able to reach the round of 16. Markkanen averaged 5.7 rebounds and 19.5 points throughout six games.
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Is Lauri Markkanen Married? | His Wife and Child
Now let’s look at the Finnish star’s past relationships. Little is known about Markkanen’s previous relationships because he has kept his love life private.
According to rumors, Lauri was previously married to Verna Aho. Little is known about the couple’s past or how they met, even though they were married in 2017.
However, some claim that they have been close since high school and that Verna is a blogger and human rights, activist.
According to Lauri’s Instagram post, Alvar, the 4-year-old child of the 7-foot monster, was born on January 31.
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Lauri Markkanen | Net Worth and Salary
The international basketball player from Finland has had a respectable career. Only 25 years old, his estimated net worth in 2022 will be $3 million.
His NBA-disclosed yearly salary is $4,536,120. Lauri signed a four-year contract worth $67,470,906 with the Chicago Bulls, which included $55,426,362 in guaranteed funds and an average annual salary of $16,867,727.
Social Media Presence
A frequent user of social media, the 6 feet 11-inch football player has over 281k Instagram followers and 108.6k Twitter followers. Lauri is not on Facebook at the moment.
Lauri occasionally talks about his family on his social media accounts, but most of his updates are about his basketball life.
FAQs
How do you say Lauri Markkanen?
Through his Twitter account, Lauri provided an answer to this query. It’s pronounced Lauri, just like Mike Lowrey!
Can Lauri Markkanen play small forward?
For his squad, Lauri Markkanen may play as a small forward or a power forward.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lauri Elias Markkanen |
| Date of Birth | May 22, 1997 |
| Age | 25 |
| Birth Place | Vantaa, Finland |
| Nickname | Magic Markkanen, The Finisher |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Ethnicity | Finnish |
| Education | University of Arizona |
| Father’s Name | Pekka Markkanen |
| Mother’s Name | Riikka Ellonen |
| Siblings | 1 (Eero Markkanen) |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Height | 6 feet 11 inches (211cm) |
| Weight | 240 lbs (109 kg) |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athlete |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Verna Aho |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Profession | Basketball player |
| Professional Career Teams | Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Position | Small forward/ Power forward |
| Drafted In | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th Overall |
| League | NBA |
| Playing Career | 2014 – present |
| Net Worth | $3 million |
| Salary | $4,536,120 |
| Merch | Trading Card |
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram |
| Last Update | October 2022 |
