Henrik Dettmann has seen some things.
The basketball lifer served as Germany's national team coach when a 24-year-old Dirk Nowitzki helped lead the country to a bronze medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championships.
Last September, Dettmann, 59, and a native of Helsinki, coached Finland as the national team known as "Susijengi," or Wolf Pack, captivated the country's growing fan base with a strong showing at the EuroBasket tournament.
None of that made what happened Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden any less special.
Jet-lagged and jazzed at the same time, Dettmann took a walk outside his midtown Manhattan hotel for some fresh air and then entered "the world's most famous arena" to watch Lauri Markkanen continue to evolve as the face of Finnish basketball.
"I know he's good and I know his potential," Dettmann said, sitting in the lobby at his hotel. "But I didn't know he was ready to play with such consequence on this level this quickly."
This is the story of a coaching veteran, an NBA legend who will enter the Hall of Fame as the greatest international player ever and a 20-year-old who is making his own way. What unites them is passion and preparation for the game they love.
