PORTLAND — Sometimes taking the long way proves more beneficial.

That’s what Romero Osby is hoping about his professional basketball career.

Osby had been planning on playing basketball in Orlando this winter. Instead, he’s starting the season in Maine. It’s been a sudden turn of events and change in destination for the Mississippi native.

“I got drafted by Orlando and played with them in their training camp,” said Osby, who’s expected to be a key component to the Maine Red Claws this season. “So I thought I’d be there. Circumstances were that it didn’t work out. They wanted to go elsewhere. That was fine. I just had to get back on with my agent and see what we were going to do next.”

That landed him in Maine. He was an acquisition following the D-League draft, obtained from Fort Wayne for Terrance Henry, Maine’s 10th pick in the draft, and the rights to Xavier Silas.

“The Celtics recognized his talent and abilities as they continue to reshape their roster and team,” Maine Red Claws coach Mike Taylor said. “They liked what they saw. They don’t have any space for him in the NBA right now but there’s definitely interest there.”

When Osby was contacted by the Celtics about coming north, it was an intriguing opportunity.

“I thought that’d be great,” Osby said. “I’d never been to Maine. The idea of the D-League, at first, I was like, ‘I don’t really want to do that.'” Everybody’s dream is to go straight to the NBA, get drafted and have a great career. Everybody’s path is different, and I’m glad to be here.”

It isn’t the first time Osby has had to take the roundabout route. He was an all-state player at North Lauderdale High School in Mississippi. He first went to Mississippi State and played two seasons there, but only chipped in sparingly. He decided to transfer to Oklahoma. After sitting out a year, he played in 31 games and averaged 12.9 points and 7.3 rebounds and was a Big-12 Honorable Mention. Last year, he played in 32 games and averaged 16 points. He was an All-Big 12 First Team selection and was also named to the NABC Division I All-District 8 Second Team and the USBWA All-District VI First Team. He was the Sooners’ MVP and the second leading scorer in the Big 12.

“The same thing happened to me in college,” Osby said. “I went to Mississippi and thought everything was going to go perfect and it didn’t. I had to go to Oklahoma to find my way.”

He was drafted by Orlando with the Magic’s second pick in the NBA draft, No. 51 overall. He played with the Magic during their summer season and was in their training camp. He played in seven preseason games, averaging 5.7 points and four rebounds. The six-foot, eight-inch post player was adjusting to the role of a small forward, something he hadn’t played since high school.

“I’ve just got to improve on everything,” Osby said. “I want to continue to work on my outside stroke and my ball handling. I want to get bigger and stronger and faster and agile. I can always become a better athlete. I’ve always been a guy that during the off season always works on everything. I just don’t want to be better at just one thing.”

The experience with Orlando gave him a good introduction to the NBA and he hopes to utilize that as he works his way back to that level.

“I had a lot of great coaches and have been around a lot of great players,” Osby said. “They’ve really given me a lot of confidence. They were ready to put me in a place to be successful. So I’m excited about it.”

Between the Celtics tradition and current state of rebuilding, Osby thought it might be a good fit for him. He’s excited about having the chance to prove himself, even if it has to be in Maine first.

“There definitely could be a door open,” Osby said. “That’s my goal, but right now, my focus is helping the Maine Red Claws win as many games as we can and get better with the guys.”

Of course, moving to Maine will be a bit of an adjustment for a guy that was born in Germany, son of military parents from Mississippi. One of his first thoughts about moving North led to him buying new coats.

“My first reaction was thinking about the snow,” Osby said. “It only snowed four or five times in my whole life growing up in Mississippi. When I thought about Maine, I thought about a lot of snow. So I had to make sure my wife and daughter were prepared.”

It was a move he says that his wife was willing and excited about making.

“It’s a new chapter,” he said. “If we have to go to Maine or have to go to Canada or have to go to Germany, it doesn’t matter. She’s going to ride with me. When you have someone like that in your corner, that really helps make the process easier.”

Osby is expected to be one of the cornerstones to the Red Claws season. Along with returning players like Jermaine Taylor and Chris Wright, as well as Celtic prospects Chris Babb, Kammron Taylor and Damen Bell-Holter.

“He’s outstanding,” Taylor said of Osby. “He was very close to making the Magic in training camp. He had a great NBA summer league in Orland with them. He’s very physical. He can establish the post and score on the block. He’s a very good leader and team-oriented player. He’s a high-character guy. He has the ability to hit the three and put the ball on the floor and go to the rim. So he’s got a pretty complete offensive game and is a very physical defender. He’s everything we could hope for and we’re excited to see what he can do for us.”

Though he’s still getting settled and adjusting to his new team and teammates, Osby is excited about what could happen in Maine this season.

“I think we’re going to be good and very athletic,” Osby said. “We’ve got a lot of shooters. We’ve got a lot of guys that want to compete and want to get better. We have guys with NBA experience and overseas experience as well as major Division I experience. So we’ve got a lot of quality guys that can help this team be successful.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link