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Jacob Grandison to represent Finnish national team this summer
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Jacob Grandison is going to get one incredible opportunity this summer before returning to Illinois for the 2021-22 basketball season.
According to Joey Wagner with the Illini Inquirer, Grandison will be representing the Finnish national basketball team overseas. Though they did not qualify for the 2020 Olympics, Finland will be taking part in a pre-preparation tournament for the Olympics in Japan with Grandison along for the ride.
Grandison admitted his heritage is something not a lot of fans knew about before now. His mother is from Finland and Grandison remains proud of his Finnish and African-American background:
“For you guys, it’s a whole ‘nother new side for me, but for me it’s one thing: I’m a Finnish African-American man,” Grandison said. “It’s just an opportunity for me to finally show who I really am. I don’t think it’s a side thing.”
Grandison is expected to train with the Finnish team in Helsinki for 7-10 days before traveling to Japan. Once in Japan, the team will have about another week of preparation before playing three games.
Best of luck to Grandison as he embarks on a memorable trip.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.