It takes a ton to impress Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. After all, the four-time MVP has been in the NBA for over 15 years, played on three different teams and won numerous championships with multiple squads.
Yet, Cleveland Cavaliers youngster Cedi Osman earned a tremendous compliment from the league’s best player.
.@KingJames reflects on his homecoming and why the #Lakers came out on top tonight with @LakersReporter. pic.twitter.com/6G98YqQahi
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 22, 2018
“Cedi is one of my favorite guys I’ve played with. It’s been only a year, but he’s a sponge and you can see he has love for the game.”
Osman, 23, only played with James for one year. Yet, the sophomore really got on James’ good side with his character, work ethic and commitment. The three-time champion brought Osman with him to a star-studded workout this past summer and it looks like it really helped.
After averaging an abysmal 3.9 points per game last season, Osman is having an amazing second season with the Cavs. The Turkish forward is averaging 11.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 30.5 minutes a contest. Some of the improvement can be credited to James, who said he still keeps up with the starting small forward:
“My relationship has grown even stronger with Cedi even though I’ve been on another coast, but I’ve been keeping up with him throughout this season for him.”
While James may no longer be helping the Cavs compete for a championship in Cleveland, it’s commendable to see the veteran guiding one of the team’s rising youngsters.