Cedi Osman says he didn't invite LeBron James to the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four due to injury concerns. Panathinaikos forward also reflects on the league's growth, and feels ready and motivated for the semifinals.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens wing Cedi Osman recently said that he might invite his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James to the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi. "Maybe if I shoot him a text… why not?" he said.
2-pointers this season
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
EuroLeague
So, did he actually send the text?
"No," Osman answered BasketNews question. "Because, you know, they had a tough series against Minnesota, and then he hurt his knee. So, I mean, I don't think that it was possible at all for him to come."
Osman and LeBron played together on the 2017–18 Cavaliers team that reached the NBA Finals.
Now, with 19 NBA playoff games under his belt, Osman believes that experience will be valuable as he prepares for his first EuroLeague Final Four, starting with Friday's semifinal clash against Fenerbahce.
"Of course. It's obvious we're expecting a tough battle tomorrow, another tough game," he said. "But it's just like another game. Everybody's motivated with the last practice. Everything is good. Everybody's really excited. So we're ready to go."
Asked whether LeBron ever gave him advice during his rookie year in 2018, especially for big moments like this, Osman shook his head.
"No. I mean, there was no advice really. Just being myself," he said.
"I’m very, very hungry for this semifinal," he added with a determined look.
The 30-year-old Osman is finishing up his first EuroLeague season since returning from the NBA, where he spent seven seasons from 2017 to 2024.
Before heading to the States, he played four years with Anadolu Efes (2013-17), and he has noticed big changes in the competition since then.
"I think it changed a lot," he underlined. "A lot of NBA players have come to the EuroLeague, and I think the EuroLeague competition level is really high right now."
"Even at that time, it was a different basketball, but right now, it's faster basketball and with a lot of scoring. So, that's definitely great," he continued.
Did it take time for him to adjust after so many years away?
"It did. The first couple of months were not easy," Osman admitted. "It took me some time, but now everything is fine."
His stats back that up.
Over the first 17 rounds of the season, Osman averaged just 5.4 points per game and struggled to find a consistent role under head coach Ergin Ataman. But in the second half of the season, everything changed.
His scoring doubled, his minutes increased, and he became vital to the rotation.
Credit Vangelis Stolis
That momentum carried into the playoffs, especially in Games 4 and 5 against former club Efes. Osman delivered back-to-back EuroLeague career highs—22 and 28 points—leading Panathinaikos to the Final Four.
In that five-game series, he averaged 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and posted solid shooting splits: 57.1% on two-pointers, 37.9% from deep, and 77.8% at the free-throw line.
LeBron or not in the stands, Osman is determined to shine on the EuroLeague's biggest stage and show his class in arguably the most important games of the season.
Pijus Sapetka
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