NBA All-Star Weekend Recap: Former Arizona Wildcat Lauri Markkanen

Former Arizona Wildcats Finland Phenom, aka The Finnisher, Lauri Markkanen, just “finnished” up his first NBA All-Star weekend. Let’s see how it all went down.

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This past weekend in Los Angeles, Lauri Markkanen represented the Arizona Wildcat basketball program in style and took part in his first NBA All-Star Weekend. Markkanen competed in both the Mountain Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Challenge and in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge and did not disappoint in either event!

First, up for Markkanen was the Rising Stars event, where the Global team ABSOLUTELY DOMINATED the USA team 155-124. High scoring games are typical for these type of events as defense is not a priority and entertaining the fans is!

Before the start of the game, Markkanen showed off his custom-made shoes for the event on Twitter. Markkanen finished the game with 15 points, six rebounds, and one three-pointer in 22 minutes of play. Must have been those shoes!

https://twitter.com/MarkkanenLauri/status/964643079759122433

Before the Skills Challenge, the media was given an opportunity to interact with All-Star participants.  Jimmy Kimmel’s own Guillermo was one of those that caught up with Markkanen:

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/964962124278542336

Markkanen’s versatility on the offensive end, ability to shoot the three, dribble the ball and dish out those dimes were reasons why he was a strong favorite to win the Skills Challenge. Markkanen won the “bigs” group by beating Joel Embid of the Philadelphia 76ers (who even cheated), but ended up losing to point guard Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets in the finals.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/965035172860084224

What showed more than anything else during Markkanen’s first NBA All-Star weekend was his personality. He showed how much he not only loves the game of the basketball but also how much fun he has interacting with other players. Markkanen was even mic’d up during the Rising Stars game, enjoy!

Markkanen is one of those people that you just want to be around. Always smiling, being positive and enjoying life. With all the hard work he has put into his game, he deserves to have some fun! Was great to see Markkanen be rewarded! Chicago Bulls fans, you’ve got a special gem.

Must Read: Lakers Brandon Ingram discusses Arizona Basketball on NBA All-Star Weekend

Back to the NBA daily grind goes Markkanen and the Bulls as they look to make the best out of their season.  The Finnisher will look to continue his strong play and make a case for why he should be NBA Rookie of the Year. Bear Down!