The most successful and popular young player in Turkish basketball, Cedi Osman, is now part of the Eurohoops family. He launches his official blog through which he will maintain a direct channel of communication with all of his fans and authentically share his experiences, his thoughts and his feelings. We welcome him with joy and we are sure that you are going to enjoy the player of the national team of Turkey and Efes Anadolu!
By Cedi Osman /Follow @cediosman
Cedi Osman got a taste of the first EuroBasket of his career at the men’s level! He wasn’t able to win a medal like he was used to with the younger national teams of Turkey and his team was knocked out early in the stage of 16 from the hosts, France.
With 12.7 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in his debut appearance at the age of 20, he gave us a taste of… things to come, and he will definitely evolve into a leading member of the 12 “giants.”
The Anadolu Efes player returns to his official blog on Eurohoops. To write about emotions from the EuroBasket, to share his enthusiasm and his goals ahead of the new season with the reinforced Anadolu Efes and to make clear that his goal is “travel” to the NBA. Aiming for 2017, in order to… have enough time to learn things from LeBron James in the Cleveland Cavaliers!
Very tough against France
The EuroBasket did not turn out like all of us on the team would have liked, even though I feel that we made a great effort. We found ourselves in the “group of death,” as it was called, we managed to get some big wins and qualify for the next phase, but in the 16 we ran into France.
It wasn’t easy to defeat such an experienced team, a team that’s been among the medals all these past years and at home, no less, in front of 27 thousand of their fans. It turned out that we didn’t have the energy and the solutions in order to be competitive and we had to come back early to Turkey.
I honestly believe that in the future, successes and joys will come. We have a body of young players that, together with the more experienced ones, can achieve a lot of things. The more we gather experiences and work together as a team, the more capable and ready we’ll be to represent our country the way it deserves.
I hope we get the chance
One thing that makes me even sadder is that after the loss to France we didn’t get into the top 8 and lost the right to participate in a pre-Olympic tournament. Turkey is being mentioned as one of the candidate countries to host one of the three tournaments. That aspect is not our job. But the one thing I can say for sure? I hope a new opportunity arises for the national team to play for a spot in the Olympic Games in Rio!
If there is a pre-Olympic tournament in Turkey, with the people on our side, we’ll have a lot of energy and all the motivation in the world in order to make it. The national team deserves a chance like that!
Coach Ivkovic had said it as well
Like coach Ivkovic had said, last season was a transitional year. Nonetheless, we won the cup, we reached the Euroleague playoffs and if we had won that game in Madrid, a game we lost from inside our hands, the series against Real, who won the title in the end, could have turned out differently. This year, we’ll be stronger and we want titles. We’ve made some great signings and I believe that during the season, we are going to put together an excellent team.
Our goal is the Final Four and to go after all the titles in Turkey! Personally, I can improve, offer more things to my team and to give back some of the many things its given me.
I don’t mind whichever position I play in as long as I’m good and we win! Now, I play more in the ‘3’ but I think the ‘2’ might suit me as well. I’d like to experience some big moments with Anadolu Efes in the next two years. To get some big titles.
Euroleague and the NBA
In my mind, in the summer of 2017, I’m going to make the big step and go to the United States to play in the NBA. Until then, a big goal that I’d like to accomplish is to win the Euroleague! It’s a dream for which we have all the prerequisites and credentials to make it come true.
At 22 and after some full seasons in the Euroleague and the TBL, I’d like to go to the NBA and begin my effort there. I’m happy that my rights are owned by the Cleveland Cavaliers and I hope that when I go there, I’ll meet LeBron James! I have a lot to learn from him!
Everything in life has to happen at the right time. Now, the present is what’s important, and a season full of responsibilities and ambitions is getting under way with Anadolu Efes! I’ll be sharing my thoughts and my feelings through my blog on Eurohoops and I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the response to my first post, for your support and your messages! I read all of them and I draw strength and extra motivation from them. Be well everyone!
Cedi
