ISTANBUL (Turkey) - Cedi Osman is already in Turkey preparing for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and the rising star can hardly wait to play a second time on the global stage.

Osman has been back home since April 10, following the conclusion of his second NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 24-year-old is anxious to head to China for the first-ever 32-team World Cup.

"THIS IS WHAT I ALWAYS DREAMED OF: WORLD CUP, CHINA. IT WILL BE A HUGE TOURNAMENT FOR EVERYBODY... IT MAKES ME MORE EXCITED THAT WE'RE IN THE SAME GROUP WITH THE USA."- Osman

"We're all waiting for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 with impatience. I'm very impatient about it," Osman told the Turkish stations BeIN Sports.

"I'm already thinking about preparing for it. I'm thinking training and playing basketball. On the other side, I had a tough season and I need to rest."

 
But Osman, who averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds as a 19-year-old at the last World Cup played five years ago in Spain, said he will be there when Turkish head coach Ufuk Sarica calls together the troops to start preparing for China 2019.

"I will be ready for sure when it's time for the national team," said the 2.00m (6ft 7in) forward , who contributed 19.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 assists in four games during the World Cup's European Qualifiers.

China 2019 is all Osman can think of.

"This is what I always dreamed of: World Cup, China. It will be a huge tournament for everybody," he said.

There is an extra bit of motivation for Osman with the Turks being in Shanghai's Group E with European rivals Czech Republic, Asian threat Japan and two-time reigning world champions USA.

"It makes me more excited that we're in the same group with the USA," he admitted.

FIBA