BASKETBALL PLAYERS from Finland

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Finnish Basketball Players of all time. This list of famous Finnish Basketball Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Hanno Möttölä (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 37.49, Hanno Möttölä is the most famous Finnish Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages on wikipedia.

Hanno Aleksanteri Möttölä (born 9 September 1976) is a Finnish basketball coach and a former professional basketball player. He is currently working as an assistant coach of Finland national team. A power forward, Möttölä played for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA), becoming the first player from Finland to play in the NBA. Möttölä was named in the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame of the University of Utah in September 2023.

2. Lauri Markkanen (b. 1997)

With an HPI of 37.44, Lauri Markkanen is the 2nd most famous Finnish Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Lauri Elias Markkanen (; born 22 May 1997) is a Finnish professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and for the Finland national team. Nicknamed "the Finnisher", he is the son of Finnish basketball players Pekka and Riikka Markkanen, and the younger brother of footballer Eero Markkanen. Starting his career with HBA-Märsky in the Finnish second-tier league, Markkanen represented Finland at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in 2015 and the FIBA U20 EuroBasket in 2016, and was the top scorer in both tournaments. He moved to the United States and played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats in the 2016–17 season, where he earned First-team All-Pac-12 honors in his lone year with the team. He was selected seventh overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves before being included in a draft-night trade to the Chicago Bulls for Jimmy Butler. Following a stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Markkanen experienced a career resurgence in his first year with the Jazz, earning his first All-Star selection and winning the Most Improved Player Award in 2023. He also led Finland in the 2023 FIBA World Cup tournament. After two successful seasons with the Jazz, Markkanen signed a five-year contract extension with the franchise. Markkanen was named the Finnish Athlete of the Year in 2023, as the first basketball player ever to win the award.

3. Petteri Koponen (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 35.71, Petteri Koponen is the 3rd most famous Finnish Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Petteri Johannes Koponen (born 13 April 1988) is a Finnish professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). Standing at 1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in), he played both point guard and shooting guard positions. He was drafted as the 30th pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2007 NBA draft.

4. Sasu Salin (b. 1991)

With an HPI of 30.92, Sasu Salin is the 4th most famous Finnish Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Sasu Antreas Salin (born June 11, 1991) is a Finnish professional basketball player who plays for Romanian team U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Liga Națională and the EuroCup. Standing at 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) he plays at the shooting guard position. Salin also captains the Finland national team.

5. Teemu Rannikko (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 29.98, Teemu Rannikko is the 5th most famous Finnish Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Teemu Rannikko (born September 9, 1980) is a Finnish former professional basketball player and currently working as an assistant coach of Finland national team. He is 1.89 m (6' 2 1⁄2") tall, and he weighs 88 kg (195 lbs.). He mainly played at the point guard position. At his peak, he was known as a good scorer and a steady defender.