The FIBA EuroBasket has already introduced the basketball world to some of the biggest superstars, all the way from a 17-year-old Luka Doncic turning heads back in 2017, to Tony Parker showing glimpses of his potential way before his NBA debut. However, there’s a new talent in this year’s edition whose name seems to be on everyone’s tongue– Miikka Muurinen. At just the tender age of 18, the forward is already taking on some of the best in not just Europe but the world. So much so that he might’ve just forced the NBA to take notice.

Although tonight Muurinen and Finland came up short against the reigning World Champions Germany, as Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder guided their nation into the final, the 18-year-old forward has emerged as a bright spot for his nation. He finished the game with 12 points as he went for 4-of-6 from the field. While that’s impressive, that’s not what caught everyone’s attention; it was rather something announcers said when Muurinen dunked a basket. 

After the electrifying dunk he made during the second half, the announcers couldn’t help but say, “Look, look at Muurinen. I mean, you know that the NBA scouts here watching this game cannot keep their eyes off of him.” They confirmed that the Finnish rising star has caught the attention of a few of the NBA scouts. Although they did not reveal which teams have sent their scouts to monitor Muurinen, it’s safe to say that there should be multiple teams interested in acquiring the 18-year-old talent in the future.

In fact, that’s exactly what ESPN Insider Brian Windhorst pointed out in his report recently while assessing the six-foot-ten prodigy. “Well, look, the scouts go, the scouts who I’m relying on to feed me information, they’re not going over there to evaluate Luka Doncic’s step back,” Windhorst suggested, to which Tim Bontemps added, “He should be, it certainly seems like he’s poised to potentially be a lottery pick in 2027, at least as of now.” Well, there’s no doubt in that. More so, after watching him at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

Just how good is Miikka Muurinen from EuroBasket 2025?

It’s safe to say that Finland’s young forward Miikka Muurinen has been the find of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, but is the towering 18-year-old a future lottery pick? Well, yes. That’s because, despite being the youngest player at the competition, the Finnish star arrived with a lot of expectations. While he not only met the goals set for him, he might have even exceeded some. So far, Muurinen has managed to average 6 points along with 2 rebounds. Yeah, those stats don’t look that staggering, do they?

Muurinen’s rise isn’t surprising when you examine his background. Born March 4, 2007, in Jarvenpaa, Finland, he comes from a basketball family: His father, Kimmo Muurinen, played over 150 games for Finland’s national team. His mother, Jenni Laaksonen, played college ball at North Carolina and represented Finland’s women’s national team. That pedigree has been evident in his poise and IQ at just 18 years old.

However, before you jump to any conclusions, you’ve got to understand that Slim Jesus only clocked in 10.1 minutes per game. At the same time, apart from the numbers, what impressed us the most, and might’ve been the case for the NBA scouts that have arrived to scout him, is his thumping dunks. There’s no doubt that Muurinen is an athletically gifted player standing a towering height of six-foot-ten, something that will only increase in the coming years.

However, even with his size, the 18-year-old moves with ease and is as explosive as any other smaller player. Even Finland’s head coach rates Miikka Muurinen quite highly, as he called him the X-Factor of his team. “He’s giving us a great boost from the bench and world-class stuff like blocks and dunks,” Lassi Tuovi said. “We see a future star of basketball.” Meanwhile, he was also impressed at how well the youngster had done with the opportunities provided to him.

It’s no secret that being the youngest player on the team, you don’t get many chances, especially given the fast-paced knockout style tournament the FIBA EuroBasket is, but still Muurinen has shown everyone how to be efficient in those 5-10 minute stints you get off the bench. So, it won’t be a surprise that we first see him select a great college, being a top-15 recruit in the high school class of 2026, before becoming a one-and-done superstar in the NBA, just like many of his predecessors in the league.