Just Culture #11: The best Finnish Athlete ever
Reviewing the Lauri Markkanen documentary, and the review in short; Finns don't get how big he really is, and how difficult the achievement is.
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Finnish basketball superstar Lauri Markkanen signed a multi-year contract worth 238 million dollars with the NBA Team Utah Jazz a few months ago. In anticipation of the signing of the governmentally funded national media company, YLE made a documentary of Lauri called “Lauri Markkanen—A Finnish Superstar.”
The documentary didn’t have any trailer on YouTube, and unfortunately, it’s likely not accessible abroad. However, here’s another short introduction to his story;
In the YLE documentary, Lauri wants to be the best Finnish athlete ever. I argue that he’s already achieved that status, but the documentary fails to describe his story. It does the very Finnish thing of describing how modest and Finnish the man is, in a very Finnish way, by being modest. It doesn’t explain how tough and improbable it is for him to play at that level the way he does and how much dedication that requires.
Searching the web, you will find only a few articles, clips, or videos that describe what sort of beast he is; just because of the court, he is nothing like it. That is a disgrace to the legacy the man is building and the professional finish sports culture in general, which is under intense scrutiny after Finland failed to secure any Olympic medals in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
As described in Just Thoughts #21—Politics and Sports, Lauri is the tip of the iceberg regarding the basketball culture created in Finland, mainly due to lifetime work, dedication, and Henrik Dettman's leadership, as well as his work raising the bar for any practitioner in his sphere of influence.
I am biased when I say all of this, as I grew up as part of the “wolf pack” (as the men’s national basketball team is called), and my brother has made it a profession and still occasionally makes the national team roster. However, I’d like to argue that it only emphasizes I know, with experience, how hard it is to be that good.
Nonetheless, you don’t need to take my word for it. Let’s take a look at some numbers. Here’s a perplexity search putting Lauri’s achievement in perspective;
You could even add a column explaining how popular each sport is in Finland, and these numbers look even more insane, even more insane than the Pakistani Arshad Nadeen winning the Olympic gold in Javalin throwing with a new Olympic record throw.
What about in perspective to Motorsports? Finland is known for producing multiple world champions in motorsports. Here’s a perspective created by Perplexity;
Perspective
The rarity of Achievement:
Markkanen is the only Finnish player in basketball to reach NBA All-Star status among millions of global players.
In F1 and rally, Finland has produced multiple world champions from a much smaller global participant pool.
Global Competition:
Basketball is more globally widespread than motorsports, making Markkanen's achievements remarkable given the larger competitive field.
F1 and rally have fewer participants but require significant financial backing, limiting global participation.
Cultural Impact:
Motorsports have a more extended history of success in Finland, often called producing "Flying Finns."
Markkanen's success is pioneering for Finnish basketball, potentially opening doors for future players.
Longevity and Consistency:
Finnish racing drivers have shown remarkable longevity and consistency at the top level.
Markkanen is still early in his career, with potential for further achievements.
National Representation:
In motorsports, Finland has had multiple simultaneous top-level competitors.
In basketball, Markkanen stands alone at the highest level.
While Finnish racing drivers have achieved more world championships, Markkanen's rise to NBA All-Star status is equally impressive, given basketball's global popularity and competitiveness. His achievement in basketball might be considered more statistically improbable, given the vast number of international participants compared to the more specialized fields of F1 and rally driving.
The above comparison gives some perspective for Lauri to consider in his personal goals. His legacy will also be measured in how many more players from Finland make the NBA (the culture for Formula 1 and Rally consistently produces new global contenders who have won multiple championships) and his ability to help his team win at least one NBA championship.
However, unlike many of the Finnish Formula 1 and Rally drivers, Lauri sets an exemplary leadership role model as a caring, modest father, even if he hasn’t become active in creating an impact with his wealth beyond the field of basketball like some racing drivers have done after their active years as racing drivers.
What about putting Lauri’s goal of becoming the best Finnish Athlete ever in historic perspective? In the documentary mentioned above, Lauri’s father remarks that being the best Finnish Athlete ever includes setting yourself up against nine-time Olympic gold medalist Paavo Nurmi.
Here’s again an analysis done with the help of perplexity.
Paavo Nurmi's Achievements
9 Olympic gold medals (1920, 1924, 1928)
3 Olympic silver medals
Five world records (1500m, 5000m, 10000m)
Undefeated in his prime for 121 races at distances from 800m to 20km
Nicknamed "The Flying Finn"
Perspective on Markkanen vs. Nurmi
The Era of Competition:
Nurmi competed in the 1920s when global participation in athletics was more limited.
Markkanen competes in the modern era of highly globalized professional sports.
Global Reach:
Running has a more extensive global participant base than basketball, but professional basketball is more globally televised and followed.
Nurmi's achievements were groundbreaking for his time, similar to Markkanen's in basketball for Finland.
Dominance in Their Sport:
Nurmi was unquestionably dominant in his era, winning multiple Olympic golds and setting world records.
Markkanen has reached All-Star status but hasn't achieved the same level of dominance in basketball.
Longevity:
Nurmi's career spanned over a decade at the highest level.
Markkanen is still in the early stages of his career and has the potential for further achievements.
Cultural Impact:
Nurmi became a national hero and put Finland on the global sports map.
Markkanen is breaking new ground for Finnish basketball, potentially inspiring future generations.
Competition Frequency:
Nurmi's major competitions were primarily the Olympic Games every four years.
Markkanen competes at the highest level throughout each NBA season (82 games plus playoffs).
Specialization vs. Versatility:
Nurmi specialized in middle and long-distance running.
Basketball requires a more diverse skill set, including physical, technical, and tactical elements.
While Nurmi's achievements are extraordinary and historically significant, Markkanen's success in the NBA represents a unique accomplishment in a different sporting context. Nurmi dominated his sport in a way that Markkanen hasn't (yet) in basketball. Still, Markkanen's achievement of reaching NBA All-Star status is remarkable, given the global competitiveness of modern basketball and Finland's limited history in the sport. Both athletes have significantly contributed to Finnish sports history, albeit in very different eras and sporting landscapes.
With this comparison, Lauri is competing against the Finnish Formula 1 and Rally drivers and Paavo Nurmi when trying to be the best Finnish athlete of all time. My argument of him being better than the racing drivers today will lie in the probability of his achievements. Lauri, who should also actively be working towards helping others follow in his footsteps, would conquer the other arguments regarding the impact made.
Being better than Paavo Nurmi is arguably outside the same window of context. Still, within the context of basketball, no one adds Bill Russel to the discussion of the greatest basketball player ever. Simply because his achievements are impossible to reach, like the game today, he’s disregarded because of a different era. If you're curious about who Bill Russel is, I strongly suggest watching the Netflix documentary “Legend.” (10/10 in storytelling).
Another perspective to the comparison of Lauri vs. Paavo would be; how likely or hard would it be for a Finnish running athlete to achieve what Paavo did in today’s world of running? With countries like Kenya in the mix in today’s Olympics, I doubt we need another analysis to deem that would be even more improbable than what Lauri has achieved in basketball.
Hence, you could say Paavo shouldn’t be in the discussion of the best Finnish athlete in today’s world, but in Paavo’s defense, he has a statue, and Lauri doesn’t. To conclude this analysis,
Statistically, Lauri has already achieved his goal, and winning an NBA championship would be a better personal goal. 🏆
To solidify his legacy, he should set goals and work towards helping others follow in his footsteps. 🎗️
He should get a statue to compete with Paavo’s legacy, but hopefully, they wouldn’t entrust the same guy who made Dwayne Wade’s statue. 😂
What do you think? Is Lauri already the best Finnish athlete of all time? Did I miss a perspective or an argument to consider?
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