ISTANBUL (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - In an obvious understatement, hosts Turkey face the toughest of challenges to advance to the Quarter-Finals. Waiting for them in the Round of 16 are defending champions Spain, riding an 11-game winning streak in EuroBasket to confirm their overwhelming favoritism tag.

As clear underdogs, few are giving Turkey much of a chance to produce an upset, but their loud and passionate fans gives them an x-factor. The hosts have had mixed fortunes in this tournament but, most notably, an inspired Finland won 4-of-5 in front of their beloved fans in Helsinki before suffering a letdown in the Round of 16 against Italy in Istanbul.

Fortunately for Turkey, they don't have to travel in this tournament and can feed off their fans. Amid a tough Group D, an inspired Turkey were ultra-competitive even in their losses to talent-laden teams Serbia, Russia and Latvia.

Crowd support aside, Turkey was brilliantly led by forward Cedi Osman, whose all-round brilliance showed up in the statistics where he led his team in every major category. The 22-year-old's energetic performances were the necessary tonic to get the Turkish fans jumping out of their seats.

Osman says he relishes the home support, which has helped raise his game to another level. "It is always an advantage that a team plays on its own home court," he told fiba.basketball. "Playing in your own home, especially in a place like Turkey, gives you incredible confidence. There are thousands of people who support you in every game."

Osman believes Turkish fans bring their own unique passion and knowledge to the games. "They know their basketball so well," he says. "They are watching very important games at club level during the year and they are very used to this level. We are also Mediterranean people; we like excitement. We feel like we have six people on the court, not five."

Turkish fans create a deafening atmosphere when their team plays at home

As the driving force, Osman is the backbone of the team and his enthusiasm has been infectious. Not the most naturally talented team, Turkey have played fast and furious, using spurts to ignite the crowd and rattle opponents.

"We are a team that knows the roles, is young, shares the ball and helps each other," Osman says. "Everyone on the team is doing their best for a common purpose. We also play very fast, we fight, we create chaos and we feed from it. In so many of our group games, we were able to get our opponents out of their rhythm."

After much individual success during a dominant Group Phase, a humble Osman says Turkey's style of play boosted his performances. "The basketball game that we are playing now is very similar to my character," he says. "The success in statistics can be attributed to this. My role is to do what's best for the team."

His eye-catching performances would have undoubtedly gotten the nod of approval from LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers with Osman set to play in the NBA after being drafted in 2015. As a versatile two-way player, who can hit threes and play hardnosed defense, Osman should be able to find a place in the Cavs' rotation in the wake of star Kyrie Irving's recent trade to Boston.

Osman believes he is ready to make his mark in the NBA and help the Cavs reach a fourth straight Finals appearance. "Like every basketball player, NBA is the league that I dream of," he says. "I have always wanted to go there when I am ready both physically and mentally. I think this year is the right time for me to go to NBA because I had played very high-level games both in Euroleague and Turkish League in an Anadolu Efes jersey. I feel that I am ready to take the next step."

Of course, Osman will be teammates with James, the consensus best player in the world and four-time NBA MVP. "First of all, I am very excited and happy to play together with a legend like LeBron," he says. "It is hard to verbalize, he is quite a different character. My goal is to do the best for my team in every second that I am on the court."

Osman will link up with Lebron James next season with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Before teaming up with James, Osman has the immediate task of contending with Spain in a bid for Turkey's campaign to continue. He says the team is undaunted by the challenge and will be playing with pride in front of their fans.

"Spain is a very strong and experienced team," he says. "However, we have given a crystal clear message to the rivals in the remaining games; we have a plan for every rival and we have the energy to implement it until the end. We are playing at home and have significant support.

"If we win, our path is clear and that makes me very excited."

 FIBA