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. A first-hand witness to Lauri Markkanen’s journey, he 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.

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.