Cleveland Cavaliers youngster Cedi Osman once caused Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to twist his ankle during a practice in 2017.
Understandably frightened at the prospect of causing the best player in the world to miss playing time, the then-rookie rushed into the trainer’s room to check on James.
However, in a recent interview with Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com, Osman revealed James’ surprising response to his apology.
“So we’re just playing, and LeBron comes from the other end – I was guarding someone else – and he came running at full-sprint,” Osman recalled.
“And I saw him and I tried to, you know, move away. But it just happened so quick, he stepped on my foot and twisted his ankle.
“And that’s really when I started being panicked, asking if he’s good and everything. He went right from the court to the cold tub. And then we kept playing, obviously, but my mind was not there. My mind was on LeBron: If he’s good, if he’s gonna be able to play, if anything bad happened.
“We had games coming up right away, so I was very nervous.
“So as soon as I got subbed out, I went right to the to the trainer’s room and he was in the cold tub. And I went there, asked him if he’s good, you know, that I’m sorry. I said I tried to move, but he’s just so fast.
“He was like: ‘Don’t worry about it. Keep playing hard. I like how you’re playing, keep doing it.’”
Osman turned 25 on Wednesday.
While he’s only been in the NBA for three years, he’s been able to be a part of some really amazing experiences. Furthermore, he forged a strong relationship with James during the 2017-18 season.
In fact, Osman says he can text the 17-year veteran whenever he’s feeling down.
The Turkey native got to witness James’ greatness in person throughout the 2018 postseason.
The four-time MVP posted a monster 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game during the 2018 playoffs. However, he wasn’t able to lead the Cavs over the star-studded Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals.
While it was a missed opportunity for James to attain a fourth championship, it was an unparalleled learning experience for Osman.
The Cavs starting small forward has career averages of 9.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
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