Cedi Osman recalled the 1st title he won in Crete & confessed being surprised by two facts about the Greek Cup final. The Turkish forward also talked about a possible extension with PAO & commented on how NBA players feel ahead of the trade deadline.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens had to come back multiple times before taking home their 21st Greek Cup title in Heraklion, Crete.
As Olympiacos Piraeus needed just over a minute to erase a 7-point deficit in the fourth quarter and get a 75-71 lead thanks to Evan Fournier's late surge, the Greens were with their back against the wall.
However, Kendrick Nunn and Jerian Grant with one of his signature hustle plays made sure the reigning EuroLeague champs wouldn't leave Crete empty-handed.
Panathinaikos won 79-75, an outcome that allowed Cedi Osman and his teammates to celebrate the first title of the season.
"We're happy and I'm proud of how everybody played and stepped up. This was a really important win because we lost last year and that's why we wanted to win today," the Turkish forward told reporters after the game.
In fact, Osman was not only briefed on last year's final that Olympiacos won, but also got to watch the game. But, as coach Ergin Ataman indicated by showing eight fingers to PAO fans, the Greens' big goal is the 8th EuroLeague trophy.
"It's the same from the beginning of the season, so that's not something new," he said. "We're going for the 8th star. That's our main goal."
Osman recalled winning the EuroBasket U20 title in the 'Dyo Aorakia' gym with the Turkish NT in 2014. He cracked a smile recalling what had transpired 11 years ago.
"I'm 2/2. This place is special for me, and now it became even more," he commented.
Osman, 29, admitted he was unaware of Juancho Hernangomez's huge rebounding tally which amounted to 17 boards.
"We learned that when we were in the locker room." he said.
"He had an amazing game tonight. We were missing many players, but Wenyen Gabriel did his best. He played great and Juancho was helping him because that's what we needed. Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall are tall, and Juancho played a huge part."
What the Turkish ionternational had no idea about was how many fans Panathinaikos would have on their side in the title game. As it turned out, PAO fans were the overwhelming majority in the stands, providing the kind of push the team needed in order to turn the contest around.
"We definitely had more fans, and we're just happy that we got to win for them. I didn't know what to expect in the beginning. I was asking my teammates, 'Is it going to be full?', 'Are we going to have any fans?'. But they showed up tonight and it was a great atmosphere," the former NBA player argued.
Osman, who finished the game with 7 points and 3 rebounds in almost 27 minutes on the court, had a tough time at the beginning of the season. However, things have changed as his adjustment has been going pretty smoothly lately.
"I'm great, I feel great," he affirmed. "I'm 100%. I want to keep playing hard like I did for the past couple of months," he added.
Even though it's still early in the season, Panathinaikos made their moves and extended their agreements with Juancho Hernangomez, Mathias Lessort and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis. Osman's deal with the Greens expires in 2025, but it wouldn't be far-fetched to presume that the two sides haven't discussed the possibility of an extension.
"At this point, I'm just focused on what's going on this year," Osman clarified.
"But I can tell you that I'm really happy to be a part of this team and to be here. The fans are amazing. They've welcomed me very well and I feel like they love me even more [now]. That's definitely playing a huge part in my career. But we'll see what's going to be ahead. I'm happy to be here and eager to win more cups," he continued.
In any case, apart from winning titles, Osman can rest assured that he's not going to be traded. The trade deadline often turns into a cause of fear for players who are unaware of what might be lying ahead.
"Especially if you're in the NBA at that time, coming February, you start sweating a little bit. You don't know if you're going to stay or go somewhere else. But it's business," he stoically remarked.
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