Cedi Osman produced another outstanding performance for the Turkish national team, prompting Ergin Ataman to… bow to the brilliance of his captain.
Last year’s EuroBasket runners-up continue their impressive run in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers and are preparing to… punch their ticket to Doha.
Ergin Ataman’s team crushed Lithuania 94-66, improved to 7-0 in Group J and moved one step away from sealing its place in the final tournament.
Once again, Turkey’s leading figure was its captain, Cedi Osman. PAOK’s new forward appeared to be in… another dimension and looked unstoppable, shooting with confidence and remarkable efficiency.
More specifically, Osman scored 22 points in 20 minutes and 42 seconds, posting excellent shooting numbers: 4-of-5 from two-point range, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also collected six rebounds and recorded three steals, completing an impressive all-around performance.
The former NBAer’s… show brought a public display of admiration from coach Ataman, who acknowledged the talent of Turkey’s leader. The former Panathinaikos coach went one step further, describing Osman as the best small forward in Europe.
Ataman said:
“First of all, I want to congratulate Cedi. He has been an incredible captain for this team for the past three years and always gives everything. There may be occasional dips in his performance, but this time he played at an extremely high level.
“In my opinion, Cedi is the best player in Europe at his position. When you put him in a position to play the right way, he displays his quality on the court in the best possible manner. He creates for his teammates and also makes a major contribution with his positive character.
“His contribution to this team is enormous. I hope he continues to captain our national team for many more games.”
At the same time, plenty of people in both Turkey and… Thessaloniki are rubbing their hands with delight. In Osman’s homeland, the excitement comes from the team’s unbeaten run and its dominant performances during the FIBA windows. In Thessaloniki, meanwhile, PAOK knows it has added a major weapon to its roster for the next three years.
