Holly in FINLAND with Lauri on his contract EXTENSION🎙🇫🇮 | FRONT ROWE | UTAH JAZZ

Intro welcome in to our very very special edition of the front row because where are we right now this is gorgeous yeah we're by the water in Helsinki so enjoying the last couple days of warm weather okay we're on the Gulf of Finland I looked it up on the map by the Baltic Sea how lucky are you to live in such a gorgeous place when you're not in Utah I'm pretty happy pretty happy it's a pretty good place to be yeah so there's been some big news let's let's I don't know if we should cut right to the chase but we'll we'll maybe get there um some big news your name has been in the news all summer heard a lot of things going back and forth how have you kind of navigated that to hear everybody talking about you and trade rumors and this and that how have you navigated your life this summer as you know me I'm kind of easygo and having fun with things so it's kind of a I obviously see a lot of that stuff and Friends texting you whatever but kind of having the humor with it when I'm reading it just kind of it's a good thing people means people you are wanted and people are speculating and stuff but I didn't really put too much thought into it I trust my agent and those people they something actually going to happen I'm going to hear it so just kind of I've been able to relax the summer uh spend time with with the loved ones and work out and that's really been the whole thing like kind of laughing about the all the potential rumors and stuff so pretty easy I was I was laughing back How he found out he was traded and thinking back to um the first time I ever met you we talked about how you found out you got traded to the Jazz that was a pretty funny moment right yeah the Euro baskets when 2 it's about St in 13 hours around that time and playing video games and read it on Twitter the Donovan is going to Cleveland and at that time I'm still a part of the C so it's kind of joking about with my friends that well it doesn't have any names so we'll see if I'm part of the that organization and then around 20 seconds go by and the GM call so I kind of I was able to kind of connect the do at that point that something probably happened so hopefully I don't have to experience that again well the reason I flash back Proud of how far he has come to that is I am just so proud of you that in the last two years you're kind of a part of a trade to this summer you have made yourself and worked yourself into be the name the piece that everyone's talking about and and now you've made your decision how proud are you of how far you came in 2 years with the Utah Jazz yeah we've come a long way and obviously a lot of work goes behind so you're proud of that um you have like we talked about earlier you have to go through difficult times to kind of learn and how to navigate through those tough times that's going to make you better so sometimes it's going to it's good to look back a little bit and be proud of like coming from here to actually make it over there so that kind of puts it in perspective you had a big decision to Why he chose Utah make about what you wanted what you believed in at the Utah Jazz and your future what what was the decision that you came to that you thought was the best I love Utah uh I've said it many times um I love the environment environment that I get to being every day um working out getting better as a player and as a human being so organizations believed me believed in me the whole time and it really shows they're around the team all the time and uh you talk with the front office people and the owners and everybody everybody's really connected and it's very family oriented organization and city and state so we really like love to be there and uh I think it's a great environment to grow so that was really the big deal and obviously the environment that you get to play in every night that all also factors in that that you have a such a fan base behind you and then having that relationship with the decision makers so socalled so um kind of having that trust and belief in the future let's the future the the plan the master plan right exactly so I The future know there was a lot of conversation from stuff I would read about the date that you signed and could you be traded should you you know all this kind of stuff was there a certain date that you wanted to sign and you had to sign just clear up for me all that stuff yeah it just happened to be that the first day I was able to sign happened to be the day that it's going to be the trade deadline next next year so just kind of giving myself a break from all the rumors and really getting back to being able to focus on the main thing which is playing basketball and get better so kind of giveing myself a break from all the talks for this year and who knows what's going to happen in the future but at least I secured that I'm able to stay put for this year and uh that was really important for me to like I said I'm not really bothered by the talk like I don't I don't care but like it's going to it does feel good to know that like okay nothing's going to happen now we get to go there I can really focus on the team that we have and getting better and then knowing at the same time that my family's good in Utah and kids are in school and don't have to worry about moving so right like life life can be settled in an unsettled business right exactly there nobody knows what's going to happen so but at least for a little bit of time you know where you're going to be so so I think it's big for people Why Utah in Utah you know like I grew up at Utah Jazz fan my whole life and so I'm going to just speak for people like me who will watch this and listen to you that you know sometimes people haven't picked Utah when they're free agents or they have an opportunity to go elsewhere or you know the way you could have signed it so you could be traded sooner why why did you pick Utah like why are you picking us fans want to know that I mean out of all the free agents and who you said are not picking Utah who who of them actually have gone to Utah and seeing stuff that's around the Delta Center and the Grand America you know right and right and and like actually invested in the community and get to know it and actually knowing the how people are really friendly and just the overall feeling of the city how they how they're treating you and uh obviously can't complain about the weather um just a really fun place to be and uh at the same time the organization as well is top tier like they going to take care of you and everything's everything is pretty easy so I think it's just a the unknown part okay I saw you become Hiking quite a hiker this spring and summer are you what's happening with the hiking situation are you like a world class hiker now not yet I'm working towards it but I mean it's just a I have a couple friends in town and um it was kind of good workout to get it in and obviously I'm I normally leave after the season to come here but with the school situation with the kids I was able to stay for a couple months in Utah after the season so I was actually able to see some of this part of Utah that I'm talking about and uh so that was one of the things that I got to hang out with with my friends and also knowing that it's a great cardio workout of doing that a couple times a week so at altitude yeah yeah even more climbing for the altitude that we already playing basketball in yeah your altitude as well big person did you scare anyone on the Did you scare anyone trails they see this big guy coming towards them any any funny encounters no but that's again going back to the people being friendly in Utah just everybody on the trail that they they recognize me most of my workout gear is the Utah Jazz gear so that helps but everybody recognized me everybody was really cool about it they were actually a little surprised that I was there but nobody [Music] really they wish good luck to the next season and stuff like that but how everybody just is really positive and I really love that so I didn't scare anybody hopefully okay and good I was a little disappointed I didn't see any wild animals but maybe we get to that part later okay you know part of you choosing Utah is you have to also believe in the vision and we talked about that of the team you know the results I may be on paper and the win losses haven't been maybe what you wanted but I felt like when you came to Utah a couple years ago you had been a role player on the last couple of teams when was it that you saw Utah believe believe that you could be a multi-talented foundational star when when did that happen from the first day I walked in the gym really just talking right away there's Ryan Justin Danny talking to will right away uh just everybody was saying obviously I was coming off a good tournament in Europe but just they like what they saw and really encouraged me to play the same way and really believed in what I can do on the court and that I'm not doing it so they challenged me to get better and uh at the same time they belied in what I already can do so that all also plays a part for just the good feeling I have about the organization that there was a lot of trust from day one and that felt good I What was inside of you wonder for a player you know you're some of your stops you're being asked to be in the corner in space and be a three-point threat what was inside of you that you were like I know there is so much more to my game what what were you thinking about your own game you know what you can do and to a point I feel like I did surprise myself a little bit on the like I just played in a different way my first couple years in in the NBA until the trade to Jazz happened and that was kind of all I knew but then so you kind of get used to it how you okay this is my stuff this is how I can impact the game and I feel like the trade to Jazz right before the tournament was kind of a easy time for me to kind of switch my mindset of and okay I know I can do more and then I think it was good that we had a game in 13 hours when the trade happen because kind of lock everything out and doesn't matter what NBA team you're playing for you're playing for Finland right now and you try to go out there and be the best player on the court and that's when kind of the mindset changed and I went away from what I have done the past couple years and just go have fun and play with the best effort and the most aggressive style of basketball I've ever played so that was kind of a mindset switch when that trade happened so um after that obviously once I started doing those things it kind of came back to me that oh I can play this type of basketball we've just been at Playing guard the tat sports museum here in Helsinki where they have an entire low marinan exhibit and we're watching these highlights from you as a little boy and you were a guard like you've told me this like I started playing guard but to see the video highlights of little Lowry and you putting the ball on the floor and your handles and your ab ility to navigate the lane um now I see it like this has been in your game right yeah and uh obviously a lot of it is I got to treade myself a little bit that all the hours I've just not worked out or practice but just having fun with the basketball in our backyard like multiple hour hours a day and um then funny little story I can give you that I can give a shout out to my dad as well well with I didn't know this at the time but he did tell me later that he went to my coaches uh like that even though he's the BET like the tallest guy on the team like he's not playing Center so I didn't know that at the time but I was always playing the guard CU I guess my dad saw that all the stuff I've been doing so ja you saw what you're doing in the yard yeah so he like he's got more to his game than being a center yeah and obviously that's part of my game that I had to develop later and got more in the power forward playing small ball FES whatever and I've kind of learned that later but as a kid um like I said I didn't know it but I kind of had that game worked by myself and then um I was able to play the guard position a lot it shows and so I felt like you know Whats next you took a huge step your first year in Utah you became an Allstar we've previously talked about how much that's meant to you this year I felt like you worked on a lot of specific stuff what's been this summer like like what's next in the bag that you're working on obviously the response is always the same that you can work on every getting better at everything obviously I need to still work on so many different aspects of my game you try to maintain the shooting get better at it uh but we've been doing a lot of off the dribble stuff and uh notic that a lot of end of game situation the ball end obviously ends up my in my hands and I'm trying to get better at kind of know see that mismatches and how to punish them correctly and what's the highest percentage shot I can get and that type of stuff and then also acknowledging that did get double teams last year and I've been trying to get be a better passer and uh kind of see the vision sometimes I had a couple times I saw the pass that it's there and then like I first here in Utah for example like I had um like I saw the pass option that I have might not be able to actually make that pass and then I kind of saw the that's what I was working on a lot last summer to I feel like this year I did make passes that I probably didn't make but that's kind of the part that I'm still working on and noticing things on the floor and then being able to deliver the ball and help your teammates and uh that way obviously help the team so a lot lot of everything a lot of everything um next The anticipation comes the anticipation right so this is going to sound crazy but I've been covering Caitlyn Clark extensively she sees it before it's developing so the pass is already there before the person makes the cut that's a skill yeah does that come with film or feel or how do you develop that sure both like yeah experience of knowing when the pass night might look like it's not there but the defender it's not actually looking at the ball so you can just throw it right next to his head and what stuff like little stuff like that and uh you see stuff on film you work on it but then of course game game reps up yeah just fil experience and just noticing things that you might not notice last couple like previously so a lot of practice and uh mental work as well you've kind of been Strength breaking the internet so you know the kids say swole you're swole like what's happened with the body I know you've always talked about continuing to add strength but what has your focus been because you do look really like you're much stronger this summer yeah we've been doing a lot of work obviously um not specifically trying to be big um maybe that's a little bit side benefit side benefit yeah but I think we've had a great summer of getting healthy and getting stronger and faster and stuff like that so like adding strength but keeping Mobility right yeah exactly balance yeah like I said it's if I wanted to add muscle and gain weight that would be the easiest thing in the world to do to get really swo like you you said it would be I would have I wouldn't have any problems with that but just finding the balance of getting stronger and not because I really like the weight I'm playing at and kind of keep that and just be able to move on the court the same way so that's being the main focus how it sits on your frame and how your frame can function with that how do you navigate what will now come with this extension and a lot of eyes on you same way I've been doing now just enjoying playing basketball and enjoying the process of getting better every day and uh like I said just signing a day later securing myself a whole year without the distraction of what people might say whatever I get to focus on fully on developing myself and helping the team and taking even the next step being the leader of the team and uh really helping the young guys and so I don't really feel any pressure about that I just I acknowledge the situation and I it is a little bit of a responsibility to lead and really help the environment for the young guys to get better as well and show the example for them but I'm really don't take more pressure from that I'm trying to go out there and win games and uh get better as a player and really enjoying the process so um you've shared stories from your childhood and your your past you are a very process oriented guy like you would keep the journal and what you did in your shooting that's one thing they didn't have it I know why you didn't share the journal with them do you still have that notebook I don't have it's probably somewhere in my mom's safe prob but remember you did promise me that one time we would maybe see the sticky notes and the goals that you that you put up yeah we can are we a step closer to that maybe okay okay um but with that Keon George foundational piece you know the Jazz are counting on you now as this foundational piece um and player Keon George came out here to visit you here in Finland like I kind of love that you know you you are a young player in your Prime keante is so young 20 years old how are you going to try to help grow guys and and why did he come here whose idea was that first of all big shout out for him obviously I haven't been pushing in the past maybe not as much for guys to fly out but Keon can always claimed that he was the first teammate of mine that flew over and came here to work out and uh but it was really cool uh I think it kind of a I can't say accident but happened on the fly with I walked into the locker room after I talked to some of the coaching staff and their plan of coming here to work me out after the summer league and keante have there was some couple guys I think in the locker room at the at the time and keante was like that sounds pretty cool like let me join you and I'm like are you serious or are you joking because if you're serious I'm going to start working on it and uh asking different people what we can do and and then it was like yeah he wants to do it and uh I'm really happy he was able to come over I he's been somewhere in like one country other than the US before so it felt I can't remember what country it was but like let's say he wasn't too experienced with the the world outside of us so it was really cool for him to he obviously came to a couple different countries on this trip as well but for him to come to Finland and we got to hang out a little bit he wasn't here too long so I couldn't show him everything that this country and city has to offer but I'm happy we were able to spend couple of days working out and just spending time with each other and it was really good I love that cuz it feels Investing in each other like you're investing in each other does that seem fair to say that yeah yeah for sure like it's a where' you just fly to Paris like nine hours yeah and then take a connecting flight here and uh it's a long trip to make and uh so it is investment he could easily just be working out wherever he works out in the US and for for him to take the time to go across the world and uh recover from J lag as you experience that right now um it was a good trip so kind of like you said investing each other's and just building the relationship and bond and that will help us on the court as well What to eat in Finland okay we are sitting here in this gorgeous place I need a couple of your um tips I've never been to Finland what do I have to eat in Helsinki before I leave here you're leaving tonight so H but I'm going to try something give me wonder if there's a way to get our traditional reindeer at this time of the year reindeer yeah oh U you didn't sound too excited about that well I I guess I thought you were going to go seafood or hering I didn't see you going Rudolph on top of that okay maybe I don't typically eat it during the summer so I don't know if there's a way for you to get that but um that could be something reindeer okay Best place to hang out um best place where where do you hang out like what's your favorite place that you hang out here the gym touche um as you know I'm really family oriented as well so I go to a gym I go home I take the kids to the park and I don't really I mean today we're doing the amusement park but other than that it's like don't do too much I'm not going to take you this golfing today so oh my gosh but one day right yeah I I got to got to work on my for that's something I I hang out with friends a lot and just get out and instead of say sitting inside an apartment or whatever just get out and I'm not the type of guy who's just going to go come sit here and have a coffee as I'm doing right now but I I always I'm a really active person I really want to do something every time and be on the move Water sports so do you get out here and row I've seen all these people behind us just like rowing are you a water sport person uh I saw you go fishing this summer yeah I do I try to do fishing and my son's really excited about that so I've been going with him and uh that's really being good time for us and uh being picking up new stuff while we're doing it so I'm trying to get being a better fisherman as well so okay that's a fun thing to do for sure but I'm not really I haven't gone out there and just kayak or anything The plan for this season okay last thing I want to ask you is the plan for this season I mean I know we're sitting here in August but what's your schedule like when do you kind of get back and start working towards this season and I know you're a goal guy you you write these down you track things you are a process oriented guy what is the vision you have for the Jazz this season I actually haven't wrote it down yet uh there's uncertainty what's going to happen this summer so we kind of waited out and you're here the day after I signed so I haven't actually had time to write fight the golfes down but I will eventually but I I'll get back to us a little bit after mid August so have a little bit of time here still spend time with the family and then uh ready to get back to work and really build this thing so you've just signed a What are you proud of huge contract you are the most famous basketball player to ever come out of Finland and the most accomplished what are you really proud of low sitting here today in your home country after signing this deal that I don't think I've changed uh those are really still priorities for me I want to go shoot outside Hoops with my brothers and friends still and hopefully I can get to some ice skating and hockey in Utah now Ryan told me to bring my ice skate so uh I think that's one thing I'm really happy about that I mean I've obviously have great family behind me and they they help me but really a lot of things has happened in that last 10 years that I probably didn't realistically believe that could happen so just kind of being able to maintain my focus and really like I said keep the main thing main thing just keep focusing on basketball and and by doing it I haven't changed as a person so I feel like that's a good thing from I think you T will be excited Are you faster that you're big bigger stronger are you faster how's what have you done to get faster are you faster this summer yeah I had to take a look at my strength coach over there he gave us a thumbs up okay bigger stronger faster but same old Lowry who has goals process oriented and you have an unbelievable work ethic right yes I'm coming to work coming to work for the Utah Jazz congratulations we're so excited for you and thank you for showing us this beautiful play I just feel so lucky to see you yeah well but but I mean your town like thank you I love a glimpse of your life it's beautiful yeah appreciate you taking the time from the busy schedule you have always I'm I'm curious about you and I want to see you succeed as a person so this helps me understand you all right we'll do more of these we'll do more of these in Salt Lake um oh we're going to do an entire Harry Potter podcast I didn't get to Harry Potter today Ah that's our next goal dis Golf and Harry Potter but for now big cont tracks and NBA talk all right yeah whatever okay that's been the front row from Helsinki Finland with uh the newly extended low marinan who is coming to work for the Jazz