Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen Opens Up on EuroBasket Motivation

Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen came up just short this weekend of leading Finland to their first-ever EuroBasket medal throughout the country's history, falling to Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Sunday's bronze medal game, 89=92, to finish in fourth place of the tournament's action.

Even without a gold, silver, or bronze to show for it, Markkanen still put together a run of historic proportions. Finland's fourth-place caps off their best-ever placement within the EuroBasket since they started competing nearly 90 years ago, and effectively draws some new attention the country's way for being one of the rising basketball countries throughout the entire world.

And for Markkanen, that's a considerable motivation for going out there to compete for his home country; not just to play for medals, but to also be a role model for the next generation, especially for those in Finland.

“Obviously, we’re trying to perform at our best here, trying to win a medal. But in the bigger picture, yes, of course. You try to give back to young kids the future of the game as much as possible," Markkanen said via Cesare Milanti of EuroHoops.net. “You definitely have that in your mind when you step up on the court and try to give it your all, representing your country."

In the end, Markkanen absolutely gave it his all for his country, etching his name in the history books as one of the best players to ever step foot on a floor for Finland and dominating the EuroBasket to be among their top performers throughout.