By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the first episode of Eurohoops’ EurohooPOD for 2024, Antonis Stroggylakis and Cesare Milanti host Finnish basketball great Petteri Koponen.
One of the best shooters in EuroLeague during his playing days, Koponen explains why he is optimistic about the future of Finnish basketball, talked about the rise of the sport in his country over the last couple of years, and the potential the national team has to go far in tournaments in the future.
“For me it’s been fun to be part of this journey,” Koponen said. “When I went to the national team we were playing in Division B and there were like… 1,000 people attending the national team games. I still remember when we beat Serbia in some qualification game and there were 1,400 people in the gym and it was like nothing happened. And now, every time our national team plays in Finland the gyms are full: 14,000 – 15,000 people.”
A first-hand witness to Lauri Markkanen’s journey, Koponen discussed the Utah Jazz forward’s path from a top talent to an NBA All-Star and how it has greatly impacted basketball in Finland in many ways.
“And now there’s Lauri,” Koponen mentioned. “The kids are following him. The media is talking about basketball more and our national team has found a place in the local media. And basketball has risen to the place where it should be.”
A EuroCup champion and All-First Team member in 2015, Koponen looked back at his career, from Virtus Bologna, the big successes with Khimki Moscow to an unfortunate run with Barcelona and contributing to Bayern Munich establishing themselves in EuroLeague. He also talked about a car accident that “almost killed” him, his “rushed” recovery and returning to basketball after this life-changing experience.
“We finished the preseason and we went to celebrate a little bit with the team, having a team dinner,” Koponen mentioned. “Then I was going back home and a drunk driver hit my taxi. I didn’t remember anything. In the next day I woke up in the hospital and I had sixteen stiches in my head. They told me that it was lucky that I used the seatbelt in the taxi. Because many times I didn’t. Now I put it every time. It saved my life.”
“After that I was fortunate to just be able to play basketball aain,” Koponen added. “In the first diagnosis, the doctor told me that I can be back playing in maybe three months. We have a Formula 1 driver specialist in Finland. He’s a specialist on head traumas. And I was consulting him and we did some tests and after five weeks I played the first game. Because we had a lot of injuries. I think I had one practice with the first team.”
“It wasn’t easy. For almost three weeks I was just laying in the bed. No cellphone, no books. Nothing, just allowing your brain rest. After that, it wasn’t easy, everything happened so fast. I’m fortunate I’m OK and I was able to play basketball.”
(1:31) Coaching once again in the EuroLeague ANGT
(3:42) Witnessing a 49-point show by Nikola Topic
(5:13) Is there coaching in Petteri Koponen’s future?
(6:59) What’s next for the basketball landscape in Finland?
(8:52) Going from Division B to EuroBasket Quarter-Finals
(10:12) All-around package from the leader Lauri Markkanen
(11:30) The 2023 FIBA World Cup disappointment
(12:37) Could Miro Little be the next big thing after Markkanen?
(14:47) No Finnish players in the current EuroLeague: why?
(15:48) Tuomas Iisalo is ready for the EuroLeague
(21:33) The “unbelievable” start for Virtus Bologna with Lassi Tuovi
(24:45) Remembering the old good EuroCup times with Khimki
(26:41) Why the Barcelona run was unfortunate
(29:02) Almost dying in a car accident and coming back early
(31:41) Having many shooting competitions with Sasha Vezenkov
(33:14) Something that didn’t work at Barcelona
(34:45) Where did Petteri Koponen have the most fun playing?