HMD Global and NBA basketball player Lauri Markkanen sign a long-term collaboration agreement

HMD Global has signed a long-term co-operation agreement with Finnish basketball player Lauri Markkanen, who is playing his first season in the NBA. He shares the HMD Global values: persistence, winning together and Finnish sisu (guts). Lauri becomes an ambassador for Nokia branded phones and will be sharing his rookie season using the Nokia 8.

Pekka Rantala, Executive Vice President and CMO for HMD Global:

“Lauri Markkanen is an incredible talent and an excellent ambassador for us. He knows what he wants and is willing to work hard to achieve his goals. We look forward to following Lauri’s career progress and are pleased to offer devices, like the Nokia 8, with which he can share moments from the NBA and from his day-to-day life with his fans around the world.”

Lauri Markkanen (born 1997) is playing his first season in the world’s toughest basketball series, the NBA, for the Chicago Bulls. He has already hit some NBA records – for example, in his first 25 games he sank 56 successful three-point throws, and has been described by media as a “sensational player“. In the 2016–17 season Lauri played college basketball representing Arizona Wildcats of the University of Arizona.

Lauri Markkanen:

“I am very proud for this opportunity to work together with a big Finnish brand. I believe that I will be able to make Finland known in the US. It is cool to be part of the team working for Nokia phones future.”

Using the Dual-SightTM mode on the Nokia 8, you can live stream your day-to-day and special moments as #Bothie content on social media, using both the front and back cameras simultaneously.

The Nokia 8 also offers basketball fans an amazing sound experience for video. The phone features Nokia OZO Audio technology, which saves top-level spatial 360° audio. OZO spatial 360° audio brings a fully immersive audio experience to your 4K video on any device. It means that you can hear the clarity of Lauri’s fans cheering, when he sinks in yet another three-point throw.

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, HMD Global Oy (“HMD”) is the home of Nokia phones. HMD’s mission is providing accessible connectivity for everyone. HMD designs and markets a range of smartphones and feature phones and an expanding portfolio of innovative service offerings. With an ongoing commitment to security, durability, reliability, and quality across its range, HMD is the proud exclusive licensee of the Nokia brand for phones and tablets. For further information, see www.hmd.com.

Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. All specifications, features and other product information provided are subject to change without notice. Variations on offering may apply. Check local availability. Google and Android are trademarks of Google LLC.