Susijengi's NBA Hidden Gem

Finland’s national basketball team was the star of an unprecedented FIBA EuroBasket run. Lassi Tuovi’s team managed to reach the quarterfinals, losing by just 10 points to eventual champion Spain. We are very excited to offer fans the opportunity to bid on the worn and signed jerseys of this legendary team. It is also essential to emphasize that the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Finnish charity We Deliver Fund.

FIBA EuroBasket is the most important national-team basketball tournament second only to the Olympics. Players from across Europe go head-to-head to determine the best national team in Europe and the best player. This year, the competition featured three All-NBA First Team superstars—Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic—making the tournament one of the most thrilling and competitive in its history.

Much of Susijengi’s success was thanks to Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen. In fact, in the round of 16 against Croatia, the Finnish team beat its opponent by 8 points, with Markkanen scoring an extremely impressive 43 points and also leading the team in the other two major box-score categories with 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Markkanen also shined in the quarterfinal, recording a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds, but unfortunately the team was unable to overcome the Spaniards, who ultimately won by 10 points.

Markkanen had the tournament’s second-highest scoring average at 27.9 points per game, behind Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo at 28.3. In addition, he was also a well-rounded dual threat, ranking ninth in rebounding at 8.1 per game. Some of his most impactful teammates were Maxhuni, who led the team in assists per game; Sasu Salin, who had the highest scoring average behind Markkanen at 12 points per game; and Mikael Jantunen, who averaged the most rebounds per game behind Markkanen at 4. We also cannot forget to pay tribute to two Finnish players who retired following the end of the competition: Petteri Koponen and Shawn Huff.

The proceeds from the jerseys will be donated to the We Deliver Fund, a joint initiative between Basketball Finland, PostNord Oy, and the Finnish Basketball Foundation that aims to provide scholarships and financial support for basketball-related expenses to financially disadvantaged families with children.

We strongly believe that it is essential to give everyone, especially young people, the opportunity to play sports, regardless of who they are or their financial circumstances or status.