Mikael Jantunen

Last updated
Mikael Jantunen
Mikael Jantunen.jpg
Jantunen playing for Utah in 2020
No. 20–Paris Basketball
Position Power forward
League LNB Pro A
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (2000-04-20) 20 April 2000 (age 24)
Helsinki, Finland
Listed height2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)
Listed weight100 kg (220 lb)
Career information
High schoolHelsinki Basketball Academy
(Helsinki, Finland)
College Utah (2019–2021)
NBA draft 2021: undrafted
Playing career2016–present
Career history
2016–2019 HBA-Märsky
2021–2022 Oostende
2022–2023 Treviso
2023–present Paris Basketball
Career highlights and awards

Mikael Olli Axel Jantunen (born 20 April 2000) [1] is a Finnish professional basketball player for Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague, and for the Finland national team. He played college basketball for the Utah Utes.

Contents

Early life and career

Jantunen grew up in Vuosaari, Helsinki [2] [3] and initially played football before switching to basketball at the age of 11. He started basketball in a youth team of a local club Wartti Basket. [4] Jantunen competed for HBA-Märsky in Finnish second-tier Koripallon I-divisioona from 2016 to 2019, while attending the Helsinki Basketball Academy. [5] In October 2018, Jantunen committed to Utah over offers from Loyola Marymount, Oregon State, Georgia Tech, and Stanford. [6]

College career

Jantunen started three games as a freshman and averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. [7] He suffered a fractured nose in December 2020, forcing him to wear a protective mask. [8] On 9 January 2021, Jantunen scored a career-high 20 points in a 79–73 loss to Oregon. [9] As a sophomore, Jantunen averaged 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Following the season, he opted to turn professional. [10]

Professional career

Oostende (2021–2022)

On 23 July 2021, Jantunen signed with Filou Oostende of the BNXT League and the Basketball Champions League. [11] At the end of the season, he won the BNXT League Sixth Man of the Year award, as well as the Belgian championship with Oostende.

Treviso (2022–2023)

On 14 June 2022, Jantunen was announced by Italian club Treviso Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) on a two-year deal. [12] [13] After one season with Treviso, Jantunen terminated his contract with the club. [14] During the season, he had played 29 games in the Italian league, scoring 8.2 points and grabbing 4.9 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game.

Golden State Warriors (2023)

On 28 June 2023, Jantunen was named in the Golden State Warriors squad for the 2023 NBA Summer League. [15] He averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.0 min playing time in four games. [16] [17]

Paris Basketball (2023–present)

On 26 July 2023, he signed a two-year deal with Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro A and the EuroCup. [18] Jantunen and Paris became the LNB Pro A Leaders Cup champions in February 2024, by defeating Nanterre 90–85 in the final. In April 2024, Jantunen and Paris defeated French league rivals JL Bourge-en-Bresse in the 2024 EuroCup Finals by 2–0 and were crowned the EuroCup champions, thus earning a spot to the EuroLeague next season. [19] After placing 2nd in the regular season of the French League, Jantunen and Paris advanced to the 2024 Playoff Finals, where they were eventually defeated by AS Monaco 3–1 and finished as the season's runners-up.

National team career

Jantunen played with Finland U16 at the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship tournament. He was named in the Finland U17 roster at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Cup in Zaragoza, Spain, where he averaged 5.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in seven games. Jantunen also represented Finland at the 2018 FIBA U18 European Championship. He averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 72.3 percent from the field. [6]

Jantunen played several games for the Finnish senior national team in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifier round. He was forced to miss time with Utah in February 2021 to play in the matches. [20]

Jantunen was part of the Finland squad in the EuroBasket 2022 and the 2023 FIBA World Cup final tournaments. He also played in the 2024 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Valencia, Spain, [21] being named in the tournament's All-Star Five with 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3 assists per game over three matches against Bahamas, Poland and Spain. [22] [23]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
†Denotes season in which Jantunen won the EuroCup

EuroCup

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPGPIR
2023–24† Paris Basketball 231421.0.545.415.8444.01.21.1.27.911.1

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2019–20 Utah 31323.2.661.313.7334.91.1.4.36.7
2020–21 Utah 202028.1.600.370.8574.51.5.7.18.9
Career512325.1.631.349.7794.71.2.5.27.6

National team

TeamTournamentPos.GPPPGRPGAPG
Finland EuroBasket 2022 7th
7
6.1
4.0
1.7
2023 FIBA World Cup 21st
5
8.0
5.2
3.2

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References

  1. ↑ Mikael Jantunen, proballers.com
  2. ↑ Mikael Jantunen palloili Vuosaaren kentiltä Susijengin kulmakiveksi, vuosaarilehti.fi, 26 October 2022
  3. ↑ Mikael Jantunen, 22, kolusi lapsena pihapelejä niin ahkerasti, että jalat eivät kestäneet – hänen oli pakko tehdä kova päätös, joka kannatti, Yle, 11 September 2022
  4. ↑ Mikael Jantunen: ”Pitää vaan uskaltaa toteuttaa niitä asioita, mitä treenaa”, basket.fi, 26 June 2024
  5. ↑ Teiskonlahti, Riku (28 August 2018). "Kameleonttimainen koripallolupaus Mikael Jantunen miettii, mihin yliopistoon NBA-unelmansa perässä menisi – juniorina hänen ensimmäinen lajinsa oli kuitenkin jalkapallo". hs.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  6. 1 2 Daniels, Evan (8 October 2018). "Finnish forward Mikael Jantunen commits to Utah". 247 Sports. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  7. ↑ Allen, Trevor (19 April 2021). "Mikael Jantunen Leaving Utah To Play Professional Basketball At Home". KSL Sports. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  8. ↑ Drew, Jay (19 January 2021). "Protective mask hasn't hampered forward Mikael Jantunen, but he's almost ready to shelve it". Deseret News . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Duarte scores 25 as No. 17 Oregon beats Utah 79–73". ESPN . Associated Press . Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  10. ↑ McDonald, Ryan (19 April 2021). "Utah's Mikael Jantunen turning pro, will not return to Utes". Deseret News . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Filou Oostende adds rookie Mikael Jantunen". Sportando. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "MIKAEL JANTUNEN, UNA "RISING STAR" PER TVB-DALLA FINLANDIA UN PROSPETTO IN RAMPA DI LANCIO!". Treviso Basket (in Italian). 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  13. ↑ Mikael Jantunen kaksivuotisella sopimuksella Italian Trevisoon, basket.fi, 14 June 2022
  14. ↑ Voisiko ura jatkua NBA:ssa? Susijengi-tähti purki sopimuksensa eurooppalaisseuran kanssa, mtvuutiset.fi, MTV Oy, 14 July 2023
  15. ↑ "Warriors 2023 Summer League roster". nba.com. 29 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Mikael Jantunen PF #20 NBA Summer League Stats - Per Game, basketball.realgm.com
  17. ↑ NBA-paikasta unelmoiva Mikael Jantunen häikäisi kesäliigan ottelussa: ”Elän ammattilaisurani parasta aikaa”, Yle, 12 July 2023
  18. ↑ "Mikael Jantunen rejoint le Paris Basketball". parisbasketball.paris (in French). July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  19. ↑ Suomalaisten juhlaa Pariisissa – Tuomas Iisalo taas sankari, Ilta-Sanomat, 12 April 2024
  20. ↑ Drew, Jay (13 February 2021). "Utah basketball: Junior forward Mikael Jantunen temporarily leaves Utes to join Finnish National Team in EuroBasket qualifier". Deseret News . Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Susijengin pelaajatusina olympiakarsintoihin on vahvistettu, basket.fi, 30 June 2024
  22. ↑ Aldama, Hernangomez, Ayton, Jantunen, Spellman in All-Star Five at 2024 OQT Spain, FIBA, 8 July 2024
  23. ↑ Mikael Jantunen karsintaturnauksen tähdistöviisikkoon, Yle, 8 July 2024
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