Lauri Markkanen has only continued to make his mark during the 2025 EuroBasket tournament, as he and Finland just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history by beating Nikola Jokic and Serbia. Doing so is certainly one of the high marks of Markkanen's career, but doing so also shows something sad about the Utah Jazz star: he simply hasn't accomplished much in his NBA career.
When asked by BasketNews' Edvinas Jablonskis if beating Serbia is his biggest accomplishment as a professional basketball player, Markkanen admitted that it's definitely in the conversation.
"It's up there. It's an unreal honor to get to play in a Finland jersey every time we step on the floor," Markkanen said. "We've obviously been in the quarterfinals once before, and it's definitely up there."
Utah Jazz and Finland's star Lauri Markkanen admitted it's an unreal feeling, saying it is one of the biggest victories in his career 🗣️🇫🇮 #EuroBasket
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) September 6, 2025
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Markkanen has blossomed into an All-Star and even if he isn't on the same level as the league's very best players, he is one of the NBA's most unique players. He's a former high lottery pick, a Most Improved Player recipient, an All-Rookie first-team selection, and was once named Finnish Athlete of the Year.
However, he's never made the NBA playoffs once in his career, and only came close in his one year in Cleveland and his first year in Utah. He's accomplished plenty for Finland over the years, as he basically is the best basketball player to come out of his home country. However, he doesn't have all that much on his NBA resume.
That's not really his fault though
Markkanen started his career on the wrong team, as the Chicago Bulls were (and still are) one of the NBA's messiest organizations. While many will put the Jazz in that same category, at least Utah knows where it's going from here. It's still not entirely sure what direction the Bulls are going in.
Because he started his career on the wrong team, Markkanen never got an adequate chance to show his stuff, even though the talent was definitely palpable. It really wasn't until his sixth year in the NBA that Markkanen actually got the chance to show his stuff under the right coach.
The only caveat is that now he is in line to spend his prime on a team like the Jazz, a team not designed to win any time soon. That's why many believe that, after his performance in EuroBasket, he could be a golden trade candidate this coming season.
He's still got plenty of time to add to his resume as a professional basketball career overall. The real question will be whether any potential glory from here will be with the Jazz or if it will be elsewhere.