Turkish forward Cedi Osman has revealed he left Panathinaikos for Greek rivals PAOK because the EuroCup club showed how much they valued him.
In an extensive interview in Turkey, Osman said his summer transfer to the Thessaloniki club was a difficult process driven by a fluctuating buyout clause that prevented him from joining Turkish sides.
The forward said he had a year remaining on his contract with the Athens club, and early discussions indicated he would stay. When news of interest from Anadolu Efes emerged, Osman said the Panathinaikos general manager called him to say the club wanted him to stay and would discuss his future once coaching issues were resolved.
Osman said he agreed to wait, but the club signed Isaac Bonga a week later. While Osman said he was never afraid of competing for his place, pointing to his time as a starting rookie in the NBA, he said two or three weeks passed without further contact from Panathinaikos.
Realising other teams were calling him because they knew something he did not, Osman said he concluded Panathinaikos were willing to let him leave, prompting his decision to go somewhere he was truly wanted.
Buyout negotiations and Turkish clubs
Osman confirmed he held talks with EuroLeague clubs Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce, but said speculation that he refused to return to Turkey or feared angering rival fans was untrue. He expressed surprise at how easily Turkish media reproduced false stories based on internet rumours, noting journalists could simply ask his representatives or message him on Instagram for the truth.
The forward explained that because he was not a free agent, any interested club had to agree a buyout with Panathinaikos. Osman said Panathinaikos demanded a fee from every team, which he believed deterred the Turkish clubs from pursuing the transfer.
Osman said he was powerless to ask Panathinaikos president Dimitris Giannakopoulos to lower the price to facilitate a EuroLeague move, fearing a collapsed transfer would leave him unwanted at his current club.
Even when PAOK approached, Osman said the initial buyout fee was increased once Panathinaikos learned of his destination. He suggested Panathinaikos were more willing to negotiate with PAOK because they are competing in the second tier EuroCup rather than the EuroLeague this season, meaning the two sides will not meet in European competition.
Andrea Trinchieri's pitch in Serbian
Osman said PAOK's ambition to return to the EuroLeague convinced him to join their project. He said he held a 10 to 15 minute telephone conversation with new PAOK head coach Andrea Trinchieri, which they conducted in Serbian, making the exchange more comfortable.
Trinchieri warned the forward it would be a difficult season, telling Osman he would not ask him to score 20 points every game because it would kill him, but expected his usual offensive and defensive energy to keep the team united.
Osman said knowing exactly what was expected brought him relief, and a week later Trinchieri sent an incredible message calling him brother and urging him to come to PAOK too, which heavily influenced his decision to complete the agreement within two weeks.
The transfer stunned his former teammates, Osman said. He explained that he faced questions about his departure at the wedding of a player named Shorts, which he attended alongside TJ and Kendrick Nunn.
Osman said his former teammates believed he had initiated the move, asking why he had left them, but understood the situation once he explained he had spoken to the president and coach Obradovic. He said that as a player, he could feel whether he was wanted or not.
Initial struggles under Ergin Ataman
Reflecting on his two years at Panathinaikos, Osman said he had an incredible time and bonded with the fans, staff, and Giannakopoulos. However, he admitted he did not know what to expect upon arrival to play alongside Cenk and head coach Ergin Ataman, who had just won the EuroLeague.
The forward said he struggled during his first four or five months as he hit the wall of European basketball.
He praised the club for their unwavering support, saying he eventually adapted to the European game and became a beloved figure.
Osman said his initial difficulties were compounded by playing under Ataman, who also coaches the Turkish national team. The forward said Ataman was stricter with him to avoid the impression that he was favouring his own national team player, benching him immediately for missing a defensive assignment or missing his first three shots in a game.
Osman said Ataman was justified in demanding he prove himself, given Panathinaikos were the defending European champions, but noted he felt much more comfortable after four months.
Final Four pressure in Athens
Despite his fondness for the club, Osman acknowledged Panathinaikos suffered a failed, unstable season. He attributed their struggles to the pressure of the EuroLeague Final Four being held in Athens.
Osman said the team could not find consistency, trading wins and losses while domestic rivals Olympiacos performed strongly. Despite late season away victories against Red Star, Zalgiris, and Barcelona, Panathinaikos finished seventh, though Osman noted they still took a 2 to 0 lead against Valencia.
The forward welcomed the increased investment from other Greek clubs, suggesting the traditional 10 year dominance of Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, who previously lost only two or three games a year to other teams, had become tiring.
Osman recalled that during his first season, Panathinaikos went unbeaten with 19 wins and zero losses, but predicted the upcoming championship would be thrilling with four or five competitive teams. He noted that Aris had also made a good investment, meaning the Thessaloniki derby against PAOK would be very good, reviving memories of when Aris and Panionios were major forces in Greek basketball alongside the big two.
