Last Updated on April 14, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Hanno MottolaHanno Möttölä is a Finnish former professional basketball player known for his significant contributions both in the NBA and European leagues.

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Hanno Aleksanteri Möttölä
  • Nationality: Finnish
  • Date of Birth: September 9, 1976
  • Hometown: Helsinki, Finland
  • Height: 6 feet 11 inches (211 cm)
  • Weight: 247 pounds (112 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7 feet 0 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 18 (US)
  • Jersey Number: 13
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: Mäkelänrinne Sports High School, Helsinki, Finland
  • College: University of Utah (1996–2000)
    • Played under coach Rick Majerus.
    • Named to the 1999 and 2000 Mountain West First Team.
  • NBA Draft: Selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2nd round (40th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft.
  • Teams Played For:
    • NBA:
      • Atlanta Hawks (2000–2002)
    • International:
      • Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)
      • Fortitudo Bologna (Italy)
      • Scavolini Pesaro (Italy)
      • Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
      • Žalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)
      • Aris Thessaloniki (Greece)
      • NMKY Helsinki (Finland)
  • Career Highlights:
    • First Finnish player to play in the NBA.
    • Represented Finland in international competitions, including the 1995 European Championship.
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Family:
    • Married to Ulla Leinikan.
    • Information about children and siblings is not publicly available.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Hanno Möttölä was a skilled stretch big who fit the archetype of a finesse frontcourt scorer, blending traditional size with enough shooting touch to play as a modernized power forward-center rather than a bruising interior-only big. Defensively, he profiled more as a positional team defender than a rim-dominating anchor, using size and awareness to compete on the glass and hold his space inside. Offensively, his role centered on complementary scoring: finishing near the basket, stepping out to hit face-up jumpers, and giving lineups a bit of spacing and ball movement from the frontcourt. At 6-foot-11 and 247 pounds, Möttölä had legitimate NBA size, but his game leaned more toward skill, touch, and offensive versatility than sheer force. His overall style was composed and fundamentally sound, built on size, polish, and scoring adaptability across the high post and interior.

Sources:
Player profile — Basketball-Reference
Official NBA profile — NBA
International team stats overview — Basketball-Reference International