'I wanted to help somehow': Turkish NBA player
OHIO, USA - JANUARY 28: Cleveland Cavaliers' Turkish international Cedi Osman speaks in an interview on campaign for quake-hit eastern Turkey prior to a match between New Orleans Pelicans and Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio, United States on January 28, 2020. Osman said that his campaign raising tens of thousands of dollars to aid quake-hit eastern Turkey was a spontaneous gesture coming from concern for his countrymen. "l wanted to react quickly after l saw the impact of the devastating earthquake on people in Elazig and Malatya," he told Anadolu Agency after a Tuesday night game between his Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans. A 6.8 magnitude quake shook Turkey's eastern Elazig province on Friday, killing at least 41 people and injuring over 1,500. "l couldn't go to Turkey, but l wanted to help somehow. It wasn't actually a campaign. l wanted to raise awareness abroad, especially in the United States," he said. On Saturday, Osman announced on Twitter that he would donate $200 for every three-pointer made during the game. Donations grew once other Turkish professional athletes, including Arda Turan, Nuri Sahin, Isil Alben, and Yusuf Yazici, pledged to donate equal sums. Osman's teammate, Larry Nance Jr., also donated, doubling the amount for every three-pointer to $200. The Chicago Bulls won the match 118-106, with a total of 25 three-pointers during the game. After the game, Osman announced that at least 385,000 Turkish liras (over $64,600) had been raised for earthquake victims. (Footage by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
