2007-born 6’5” Finnish guard Samu Adler had an impressive first showing on the U18 FIBA stage this summer, turning heads in Tampere as one of the youngest prospects playing in the event. Despite his young age and the many fans who wanted to see Susijengi's youngsters in their home country, he was not afraid to take on responsibility and wound up playing a big part in the one-point win over Lithuania, in which he finished with 21/4/2 while shooting 50% 2FG and 40% 3FG.
Pro Insight’s Florian Kurth met with the current Salon Vilpas player for a conversation, following his memorable showing at U18 EuroBasket to discuss his family’s basketball background, representing his country, the possibility of attending college in the U.S., and much more.
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2026 prospect Samu Adler, from Helsinki, Finland:
Pro Insight: How did you get into basketball in the first place?
Samu Adler: When I was little, I actually started playing hockey from age 4 until I was 13. But when I was about 9 years old I started playing basketball, because all of my family members played. When I stopped hockey at 13, I fully committed to basketball.
PI: Can you share more about your family’s background?
SA: My mom played pro basketball for about 12 or 13 seasons here in Finland. My father coached until last year – all kinds of different teams. Then my sister used to play basketball, and my brother plays soccer.
PI: How would you describe your overall game?
SA: I would say I play with a lot of physicality. I try to play good defense and tough defense. Just shoot the ball when I am open and try to get my guys open when I have the ball in my hands.
PI: How do you feel like you most impact winning?
SA: I try to talk a lot on the court and on the bench, just to keep the guys on track on what is going on. I just try to be a great teammate and do my best to get the W.
PI: What was your impression of the U18 EuroBasket in your home country?
SA: It is always special to play home and in front of home fans. They supported us, it was just all-around fun – a great venue and city. Everything was just set up nicely.
PI: How would you rate your own performance there?
SA: I think I played pretty well, considering that I was a year younger than most of the guys who were there. I wasn't expecting to be playing that well, if I think about myself six months prior to those Euros, I was hoping to get on the team in any role. But then I got a lot of playing time and I played well. So I was pretty cool with it.
PI: How would you describe your current strengths and weaknesses on the court?
SA: I would say my biggest strength would be my size for my position. Cause I am a point guard and I am a lot bigger than most guys that are guarding me. I can guard from through 1-3, maybe even to 4. I can be very versatile and usable on the court. The biggest improvement of my game would be my off-ball movement and those reads off the ball.
PI: What are you most focused on in your development?
SA: The thing I would say I am focusing on right now is probably the offensive reads – especially off-ball screens – just coming up the court and getting those reads right with the bigs and wings. Simply all the movement that is going around.
PI: What are some of your off-court interests or hobbies?
SA: I try to get a lot of my school work done off the court. Cause I am finishing high school remotely on my computer on my own. It is maybe a little more mentally draining than normal high school. But it is rewarding because I can play ball on a higher level than before and still be able to go to school. Also I like to play video games on my Playstation. So those are the two things.
PI: What are some of your specific goals?
SA: I would say the biggest goal would be just improving my game and trying to get to the next level. Cause playing against pros is a lot different than playing against someone my own age. Of course the team's success would be nice, but as a young guy I would say just improve myself.
PI: Where do you see yourself in five years?
SA: I think my dream is to play in the EuroLeague, that's where I want to be in five years.
PI: Can you imagine going to college?
SA: Yeah, I mean I can see myself going to college. After I finish high school, I would say that would be a goal of mine.
PI: Do you have any favorite schools?
SA: I mean my favorite schools are University of North Carolina and the Kansas Jayhawks.
PI: What would be your dream NIL deal?
SA: If I could get any sponsor deal from any brand in the world, I would say it is Nike or Gatorade.
PI: What is your favorite type of music to listen to? Any favorite artists?
SA: I listen to music a lot, but before games I listen to something with more rhythm, like R&B or rap. I would say Kendrick Lamar is my favorite artist.
PI: Who is the most important person in your life?
SA: I can’t just say one person, so I would say my whole family!
PI: How would you describe yourself in just a few words?
SA: (Note: Asked his sister, who was next to him) Okay, my sister is describing me with “intelligent, calm and occasionally funny.” I would say that is pretty good.
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