Name: Erik Veeti Toivonen
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Species: Finnish Forest Reindeer
Height: 7’ 4”
Weight: 252 lbs
Handedness: Right
Hometown: Oulu, Finland
Position: Center

College: Bedrock University of Minnesota
Team: Minnesota Blizzard

Erik is one of the finest athletes to enter into the 2016 FBA Draft, and it’s no surprise how he was able to make a name for himself.

Erik Toivonen had the fortune of being born into a family of athletes, at least from his father’s side. At a very young age of 2, he started putting small basketballs into small hoops during play time with his parents, and growing up in a sports environment has shaped him greatly into the person he is in the present. But it was also stressful for some part of his childhood, as his father, then current EFBL star Blake Toivonen was traded and moved his family across Europe. Erik found it tough to make friends during his early childhood, moving around almost constantly, but it helped him draw closer to his father, as he got a close look at his dad’s teams from courtside, watching his dad make plays and win games. While he wasn’t studying, Erik would hang out with his dad at practice, even getting a few private lessons from the coaches. Erik felt happy, as he took those lessons with enthusiasm, prompting him to practice at home and at school.

It was tough for the Toivonens to stay somewhere for more than a year for quite some time. It prompted for Erik’s mother to homeschool him for the time being. Years later, his father Blake decided that his professional basketball career was not going beyond Europe, due to his knee problems, thus prompting their move to Helsinki, as Blake signed a 3-year contract, so he could finally settle down with his family back in his home country and help Erik get a good education, as his mother was tired of home-schooling him. Erik was then able to integrate himself into the Finnish public schooling system full-time, and sign up for a local sporting club’s basketball program. It was then that Erik’s talent began to shine.

The young reindeer felt happy, as he finally found home in Finland. It helped elevate his game to a new level, as he outplayed his opponents in many games with his athleticism and court awareness, thanks to the many practice lessons from his father and EFBL coaches, emphasizing fun in sport. During middle school and early high school, Erik propelled his school to several local championships, being one of the tallest and most athletic players the Finnish capital has seen. After four consecutive school championships, Erik was invited to the U16 national team. It was a struggle for Erik to adjust to a more intense game, after having spent many years in the community league dominating the field. He came very close to missing the cut after messing up during a friendly match against Sweden that caused his side to lose, but the coach reconsidered after a long chat with the young reindeer. Erik was already 6’ 6” tall at the age of 15. His speed and skill for his size were a sight to behold, as he was able to keep up with fast and agile guards, while going toe to toe with the bigger centers and forwards. Despite his leaner size, it proved to be tough for large opponents to knock him over.

That second chance inspired Erik to become better and he began to work out and exercise more intensely, keeping his lean frame as best as he could, rather than bulking up like his father did. Blake was in agreement of this, as his own size caused him to have knee problems during the progress of his pro career. Erik was enrolled into the national basketball program that balanced school with sport, helping his chances to be recognized on an international level. His first European tournament went less than stellar for the Finnish team as they were eliminated in the group stage by Spain and France, but Erik managed to keep his team within striking distance of a win over the tournament favourites, surprising many journalists that Finland can produce great basketball players.

For the next few years, Erik would switch between living in Helsinki for school at the Athletic Institute, and Oulu to stay with his family during the summer and practice with his father. His mother received a great job prospect in Oulu, which also allowed Blake to move closer to his family in Lapland, and continue his work as an agent for a handful of EFBL talents.

But things turned sour after Erik’s 16th birthday, as his parents filed for divorced after a fight that lasted for weeks, showing Mila’s distrust for Blake, which threw Erik for a loop. Erik was crushed and was forced to take a week-long break as he couldn’t focus on playing. It was then that Erik decided to balance his basketball sessions with music, taking guitar lessons outside of school to help him distract from his parents’ divorce.. It would prove to be a hobby Erik took on since then, playing grunge and hard rock songs in his bedroom when he wasn’t holding a ball in his hand.

As high school approached its end, more opportunity came for Erik to advance his athletic skills even further, as the Furry Athletic Institute of Finland was contacted by Bedrock University in Minnesota to recruit Erik into their basketball program on a scholarship. Conveniently, his father Blake received an offer to work in the FBA after building up an impressive resume over several years in European basketball. But his mother Mila did not like the idea, her insecurities showing, which made Erik realize she wasn’t the mother he had hoped she was. After reconciling, Erik and Blake packed their bags and headed off to America. The young reindeer soon entered Bedrock’s college team, who looked to make it to the FCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years. Despite being Minnesota’s biggest university campus, the team fell short many times, losing in several conference finals. The team was in rough shape after a disastrous season before, and the coaching staff hoped that recruiting Erik, a great talent out of a non-traditional basketball country, would give the student athletes a necessary spark. They had a great hunch, as Erik would take it on himself to win the starting spot at 5 and propel himself to a great surprise player for many FCAA journalists and a few FBA scouts.

Erik’s freshfur year had a great run, as the team would once again go to the Midwest Conference final only to lose to a strong side in Canis Lupus, despite Erik’s best efforts and a 22-point game from the big young reindeer. The following week, he was offered a spot in the 2015 FBA Draft, but on the advice from his father and coach, he opted out. He would enter a second year at Bedrock to develop further in the American collegiate level to better his chances at a professional career.

Erik spent the summer training and competing in the U20 Eurobasket with Finland. The squad reached great success with Erik, winning a bronze medal over host Germany in a dramatic game that saw the Finnish squad prevail with great defensive effort lead by the reindeer’s team-leading 15 rebounds. Toivonen felt revitalized from his European success and took that into his sophomore year at Bedrock. It would prove to be a great recipe for Erik, as he lead the team with 18.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG and 2.4 BPG. Erik put the team on his shoulders at the 2016 Midwest Conference final against Prairie Valley, putting on a huge defensive effort against a predator-heavy team, earning himself a game MVP award and punching Bedrock’s ticket to the FCAA tournament, sending the state of Minnesota in euphoria.

There was a brief moment of shock as Erik went through a phase of depression due to unexpected events before the tournament, but he was able to cope with it, thanks to support from his team and coaches (future The Courage to Grow chapter will explain said event). He went on to put up the performance of his life, helping Bedrock tremendously with a 25-point, 12-rebound effort as they stunned heavy favourites, Number 2 seeded Ursa State by 1 point to move to the next round. It came at quite a cost, as Erik was bumped and shoved quite a lot during the game, but that didn’t rattle his spirit.

Bedrock faced Wyoming Herd in the next round, and it would prove to be a difficult task. Bedrock was a much smaller team compared to the bovines and cervines of the opposition. But Erik would elevate his talents once more, putting another double double on his tap, as Wyoming Herd was defeated 68-65, and Bedrock was headed to the Sweet Sixteen.

Unfortunately, this is where the Cinderella story ended for Bedrock. Despite the team’s best efforts and yet another stellar effort by Erik, the team fell short, as Equine Heights beat Bedrock 64-55. Erik managed to credit himself with another double double, 16 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort. The young reindeer wowed a national crowd with his finesse, strength and endurance, that helped his team elevate to another level. Erik put Bedrock back on the elite College basketball map, and that’s all they could ask of him.

In May 2016, he received FBA draft application papers from his coach. He was ready to take the next step.

Skills:

Erik is an elite center, having nearly perfected his balance of offense and defense. His size and speed are remarkable for someone over 7’ tall, as his lean, yet strong structure allows for swift movement while still remaining a rock when he needs to be. His education in a prime athletic school in Europe has helped him find a balance between learning and playing at a young age, and he maintains it to this day. While education is important, he also had his father’s support, as Blake made sure his son saw the enjoyment and fun in sport, rather than it being just another career.

On the court, he is a dominant figure in the paint on both sides, as his reach lets him grab the most important rebounds, while his body allows him to box out opponents without much difficulty. He’s very swift and agile for a center, as he moves around a lot to get a pass, making it difficult for his opponents to follow him step by step. Despite these qualities, he’s still learning to avoid fouling. His size makes him a target for giving free throws to the opposition. Erik’s possession game is good, but one mistake, and it can result in a turnover. You can’t expect him to shoot three pointers either.

But overall, Erik is a prime example of a great young center, who can fill the need at the 5 immediately.

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Art done by the fantastic WyldElyn. Erik has officially submitted his name to the 2016 FBA Draft.