For the first time, Finland sees itself playing a semifinal in EuroBasket. The journey has been magical, including a glorious win against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. However, Lauri Markkanen and Co. face their toughest test yet. They are drawn against Germany, the favorites to win it all. In their group stage meeting, the Germans prevailed in a dominant 30-point victory.

But Markkanen doesn’t believe in living in the past. He sees this as Finland’s opportunity to rise. He wants to be the beacon to grow basketball in his home country. His inspiration, ironically, is the man who exuded such passion for the game in Germany.

“I’ve talked with him a couple of times; he’s a great guy, and he was a great player. I’m just trying to do something similar to what he did. He was one of the all-time greats, so not an easy path to follow, but I try my best,” he said during media availability.

That sort of defiance can’t be taught. Nowitzki paved the way for Germany to be a powerhouse. Some of the modern-day players look to follow his silhouette. Markannen hasn’t reached those heights just yet, but he’s consistently put up heroic performances for Finland, including the EuroBasket 2025.

No one had Finland making the semifinals. However, whether it was outbattling the Joker or scoring 43 against Great Britain, the Jazz forward has positioned Finland to stand fearlessly against big basketball nations. His aim is to continue until Finland is one of them. And for that, the rematch against Germany is pivotal.

There’s some bad blood between the two. Lauri Markkanen still chooses to focus on his priority – improving as a team.

Lauri Markkanen doesn’t mind Isaac Bonga’s comments

Markkanen has emerged as one of the best players in this year’s competitions. His 24.7 points rank as the third-highest in the competition. His only struggle came against Germany, a formidable defensive team with great chemistry. Isaac Bonga’s length and physicality kept him to just 9 points in Finland’s group stage loss.

The German immediately took pride in his performance. “When he goes home, I hope he has nightmares about me. And I hope that when he dreams, he dreams of me,” Bonga said after the game.

Ahead of their big game, Lauri Markkanen heard those comments. But he remains unbothered. “They can say whatever they want. And all we care about is the guys we have in this locker room, and we move forward,” said the Finnish ace. Germany has every reason to be confident. They are yet to lose a game in EuroBasket 2025.

They have a mix of current and former NBA players who have played together for years. Yet, what Finland has is limitless hope. That is what inspired them to get to the semifinals by tackling every curveball they faced. Markkanen knows how big the occasion really is for the basketball future in Finland.

But more so than that, the team is united and willing to fight together. In the past, that has led to improbable results. And that’s how sports are. Underdogs are very much capable of writing their own story. And while Germany does have higher chances of winning, this Finland team has a lot more than just Lauri Markkanen.

Do you think they can stun the tournament favorites? Let us know your views in the comments below.