Finnish basketball star Lauri Markkanen has hit headlines in his home nation for answering a question in his native language during a press conference in the United States.
Markkanen, who is considered to be Finland’s brightest basketball star, plays for the Utah Jazz in the NBA, and has spent five years playing in the US. During the press conference following their defeat to his former club, the Chicago Bulls, a Finnish journalist asked him a question. After a moment’s hesitation, Markkanen asked if he was allowed to reply in Finnish, and when given confirmation he spoke of his disappointment about the defeat but also the need for his team to “stay aggressive and try to get wins”.
Comments underneath a clip of his reply showed that fans enjoyed listening to the star speak his own native tongue. One individual replied “I could listen to him speak in his own language all day, even though I don’t understand a word”. Another sympathises with Markkanen, saying “losing stinks in any language”.
Finnish news site Iltalehti reported that Markkanen played well during the match, scoring 32 points, but unfortunately his team are now on a losing streak of five games.
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