“I’m ready to get back to work and build with this franchise.” Recently signing a five-year $238 million extension with the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen showed that he meant business. Now, it’s time to deliver the results. But that shouldn’t be a problem considering even his former teammate Jarred Vanderbilt had high praise for the big man in a recent confession, “He a dawg.” And the Finnish star might just have proved Vando right by channeling an iconic Dragon Ball Z character in his latest workout!

Following an intense workout session, Lauri shared an image of a vest on his Instagram story saying, “Weight vest for the last hike felt like Goku.” Yes, preparing for next season, the seven-footer went the extra mile and added more weight to make the workouts harder for better results. Maybe, this is the first step to him going into ‘Super Saiyan mode’ this upcoming season.

Well, his work ethic should not come as a surprise, especially after what Jarred Vanderbilt said about him recently, “People don’t realize he’s 7-foot but he’s strong, he got bounce. Damn near ‘Create a Player.’ Lauri was a beast man.” Sure enough, Vando was Lauri Markkanen’s teammate for a brief period two seasons ago before he got traded to the Lakers.

He even detailed why the forward has been so effective in Utah: “He’s just so efficient. He don’t need much. To be an all-star his usage rate is so low. He don’t need the ball that much but he finds a way to make it happen.” Well, Lauri Markkanen does in fact have a 23% usage rate which is significantly low compared to other seven-footers like Nikola Jokic (26.9%) and Joel Embiid (35.3%). Regardless, the Finnish star is an All-Star caliber player.

Jazz front office excited for Lauri Markkanen to be a part of their rebuilding plan

While Lauri Markkanen is busy preparing for next season, it is unlikely that the Jazz will start winning right away. Finishing as the bottom-four seed last season, their roster has not improved a lot this year. Moreover, they are planning for a complete rebuild and have high hopes to win draft rights for teenage sensation Cooper Flagg who will be eligible for the draft next season. And Lauri seems content with the franchise’s plan.

Sure enough, the Utah side’s CEO Danny Ainge has been ecstatic by Lauri Markkanen’s commitment, saying, “Lauri’s ability to score in multiple ways and his versatility as a player makes our team better. He embodies our team’s core values on and off the court. We’re glad that he wants to be a part of our future and what we’re building here in Utah.”

Even GM Justin Zanik was happy to make the big man a part of the team’s future, saying, “We’re excited that he shares the same vision of what our team can be long-term and to have him not only as a building block for the Jazz, but also as a member of the Utah community for years to come, is huge.”

And why wouldn’t Lauri be? After all, he has averaged 24.5 points in his 2 seasons at Utah and turned into an All-Star. At 27, he has a lot of years left in his prime. Surely, that will prove crucial once the Jazz is equipped to make a run for the title. What are your thoughts? Drop ’em below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.