18-year-old Miikka Muurinen was regularly grabbing the headlines at this month's EuroBasket 2025, contributing to Finland's shock run to fourth place in Riga, Latvia.
The winner of the EuroBasket Rising Star award, Muurinen was also grabbing the attentions of the continent's top clubs as well, and has now signed a three-year deal with Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade.
Muurinen will therefore be mixing it with Europe's best on a regular basis, taking part in the 2025/26 Euroleague, which gets underway tomorrow.
The move has created plenty of discussion - born in Jarvenpaa, Muurinen was playing high school basketball in the United States for AZ Compass Prep in Arizona last season, but instead of continuing his development in the US, he will step into one of the most febrile atmospheres in the sport.
But the pressures of the Belgrade Arena are welcomed by the teenager, who moved to Serbia at the weekend.
"I have a good feeling because ever since I was five years old I have dreamed of playing in Serbia and the Euroleague," he told the club's sponsor's website, and it seems he knows what awaits him at his new home.
“I watched a lot of games from Serbian teams, so I know the country's basketball culture. Partizan has an excellent coach and good players. The team is my best option at the moment. The Euroleague offers me more than the US college leagues."
The move has been welcomed within Finnish basketball, not only for Muurinen's development, but for the fact that he will now be available for the Wolfpack's 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers this season, which will not have been the case if he stayed in the USA.
Partizan begin their Euroleague campaign tomorrow away to Dubai, with no word yet on whether Muurinen will be making his debut.