By Evaggelos Papadimitriou/ info@eurohoops.net
Cedi Osman was undeniably the most explosive summer move in Greece. PAOK pulled off a massive coup to secure the veteran forward, who is now primed to electrify fans in Thessaloniki. Seeking to capture the gravity of this transfer, Eurohoops sat down with the marquee star set to redefine both PAOK’s future and the BKT EuroCup landscape.
“It was a difficult summer for me,” Osman confessed openly. “First of all, I’m very excited to be part of this team, part of this historic club. The main reason why I signed with PAOK was when I was talking to the coach and Mr. Telis. It was the vision, the goals, where we want to be in a couple of years. Obviously, the important role that I will have with the team is the main reason I am here.”
The 31-year-old forward made it clear that his ultimate objective is to propel PAOK into the EuroLeague. With the bar set exceptionally high for the 2026–27 campaign, Osman highlighted the ambitious roadmap shared by the club’s brass, Telis Mistakidis, and strategist Andrea Trinchieri. He knows the pressure is on.
“I know that PAOK is aiming for the EuroLeague. And that is my main goal to be back in the EuroLeague,” he explained.
When pressed about recent high praise from his former coach Ergin Ataman, who labeled him the premier forward on the continent, Osman chose humility over hype.
“I don’t like talking about myself, and I’ve never had. In my career, I was never giving quotes about me. The coach believes in that. I will just respect what he said,” he noted.
Panathinaikos departure
Naturally, the conversation shifted toward his abrupt exit from Panathinaikos Aktor. The seasoned veteran, who brought 495 games of NBA experience back to Europe in 2024, revealed that both sides were genuinely enthusiastic about a contract extension before negotiations suddenly stalled.
“For me, I had one more year,” Osman stated, opening up about his departure from the Greens. “I was believing that they might be talks about renewing the contract. Obviously, it didn’t turn out that way. And it was not just me thinking, it was from both sides. So, it was not something that I want and they didn’t want. It was both parts that were very excited on this, but it didn’t work out that well. It’s business. It happens. There will never be hard feelings. I had two great years there. I had a special bond with the fans, everybody in the Panathinaikos team, with DPG also.”
He also talked about how Thessaloniki rivals PAOK and Aris can legitimately challenge Panathinaikos and Olympiacos on the domestic stage. “I think it’s too early to talk about this, because we are building something new here. It will take us some time,” he mentioned.
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