After LeBron James‘ first season back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team made a draft night deal to acquire the rights to international player Cedi Osman. Over the next two years, James likely paid little attention to Osman’s development overseas, but once the rookie joined the team this past season, the two bonded in such a way that James specifically looked for Osman when celebrating big moments.
After James signed a four-year free agent contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, Osman took to Instagram to offer a gracious thank you to James for having taken him under his wing during the past season:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkvoE7InqB-/?taken-by=cediosman
During that first year in the NBA, the 23-year-old Osman gave definite hints that he could develop into an effective player in the years ahead. While he only averaged 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in his 61 regular-season contests, he gave no hint that he was overmatched. He got the start in 12 of those contests when injuries depleted the team’s depth and scored in double figures in seven games over the course of the year. Yet, he saw limited action during the postseason.
Both Osman and the Cavaliers are hoping that those lessons learned from frequent interactions with James will translate into even stronger performances next season. Given the gaping hole left by James’ departure, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue is likely to rely more on Osman during his sophomore campaign.
