{"id":76424,"date":"2019-02-19T16:52:07","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T22:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=76424"},"modified":"2019-02-19T16:54:50","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T22:54:50","slug":"osmans-euroleague-legacy-translating-to-nba-with-all-star-weekend-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/osmans-euroleague-legacy-translating-to-nba-with-all-star-weekend-pick\/","title":{"rendered":"Osman\u2019s EuroLeague legacy translating to NBA with All-Star weekend pick"},"content":{"rendered":"

By John Alfes<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman is an icon in the EuroLeague, where he played for four years with Anadolu Efes — a Turkish professional basketball team based in Istanbul. He started there at age 18.<\/p>\n

The experience refined Osman\u2019s game on the court, fostered his relationships off the court and spotlighted his reputation throughout the landscape of European basketball.<\/p>\n

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Cedi Osman played for the Turkish national team overseas prior to joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. (Ayca Yildiz\/Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHe’s one of the best players that Turkey has had in history,\u201d said Bogdan Bogdanovic, a Belgrade native and shooting guard for the Sacramento Kings. \u201cA guy who dedicated his life for basketball, very professional. He works hard every single day. He’s from a good family, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The NBA All-Star weekend at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte provided Osman with his first chance to shine and garner national attention in America. His second-year performance in the NBA had carved out a spot on the World Team in the Rising Stars game on Friday.<\/p>\n

Osman displayed his wide array of skills in the exhibition contest, filling the stat sheet with two points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals in the World Team\u2019s 161-144 loss to the U.S. Team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never like to talk about me, but, in Turkey, I\u2019m kind of really popular,\u201d Osman said. \u201cI already know that I can do this (in America), that I can be a rising star, that I can be an All-Star.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Osman with the 31st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft before the Cavaliers traded for him that same night in June 2015. Osman continued to play in the EuroLeague and on the Turkish national team for two seasons until Cleveland inked him to a professional contract in July 2017.<\/p>\n

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Cedi Osman (left) celebrates a victory with guard Dogus Balbay (right) during his EuroLeague tenure. (Ayca Yildiz\/Flickr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since then, Osman\u2019s EuroLeague legacy has gradually translated to the NBA — from playing minimal minutes alongside LeBron James last year to averaging 14.5 points in a substantial role with the Cavs this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the last year to now, I think that I put a lot of work in,\u201d Osman said. \u201cAs far as playing time, this year is better. Just have to still keep going hard and working hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Osman\u2019s World Team teammates already knew his abilities would effectively transfer from the EuroLeague to the NBA. The All-Star weekend, though, gave Americans their first taste of what Osman brings to the hardwood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew him when I played against his team in Turkey,\u201d said shooting guard Luka Doncic, who played for Real Madrid in the EuroLeague and the Slovenian national team before becoming one of the NBA\u2019s best rookies with the Dallas Mavericks in 2018-19. \u201cI think he can be really great in this league. Just keep working, and he’s going to be great in this league for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chicago Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen and Brooklyn Nets small forward Rodions Kurucs shared that sentiment, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played him a couple times in the Euros, too, and just now I’ve been able to talk to him in the locker room,\u201d said Markkanen, who hails from Vantaa and the Finnish national team. \u201cHe’s a young guy, especially when he played for Turkey. When we played them, he was really their main guy. He’s been improving from last year, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got more confidence,\u201d said Kurucs, a product of Cesis, Latvia, and former player for FC Barcelona and the Latvian national team. \u201cHe was like the star of his (EuroLeague) team. Our team treated him like a top scorer, a really good player on the Turkey team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Osman\u2019s impact resonates throughout Turkey, where he recently signed a sponsorship deal with Head & Shoulders and has a commercial still to air this coming summer.<\/p>\n

\n

#Cavs<\/a> Cedi Osman on his new sponsorship with Head & Shoulders and his upcoming commercial this summer. #NBA<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xPWml4rmYL<\/a><\/p>\n

— John Alfes (@JohnAlfes) February 15, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n