Osman enters Chelsea High’s 1,000 Point Basketball Club
By Cary Shuman
Moe Osman doesn’t yet realize that he is now an official Chelsea High School basketball legend, but his coach, Cesar Castro confirmed it at Monday’s practice.
Osman scored the 1,000th point of his outstanding basketball career Saturday night in a non-league game at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School.
“He’s a living legend now in Chelsea,” said Castro, who happens to be the last Chelsea High boys basketball player to reach the milestone (in 2010). “His name will be enshrined for all time, and you can’t take that away from him.”
Osman joins all-time greats Lew Perkins Dave Molloy, Craig Walker, Denise Chappell, Autumn Lopez, Cesar Castro, Alyssa Rivera, and Monica Cespeda-Cruz on the list of 1,000-point scorers. Cespeda-Cruz, a senior on the CHS girls basketball team, stamped her ticket in a game Feb. 6.
Needing six points to attain one of high school basketball’s most notable achievements, Osman swished an early three pointer to get to 997. He later drove the lane for a basket and was fouled on the play. With the excitement building among Chelsea players, coaches and fans, Osman stepped to the foul line and calmly swished the free throw for Point No. 1,000, with teammates jubilantly enveloping him on the court.
Asked about his accomplishment Monday at practice, Osman, a 6-foot-1-inch guard, said, “It feels pretty good. Four years ago, I never thought about 1,000 points at all. My freshman year, I did alright, but I didn’t think I was going to get there.”
A four-year starter
Omsan, whose full name is Mohamoud Osman Mohamed, began his road to 1,000 in his freshman year when he earned a spot in the starting five for the Red Devil varsity team.
Castro saw the potential in Osman, who had played four years in the Chelsea Youth Basketball League before entering CHS.
“I told Moe from the beginning that he had the opportunity to score 1,000 points if he stayed all four years, and as a coach, that’s something you love to see,” said Castro. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a great kid. And he came a long way. The work always shows, and it was a really special moment to see him score his 1,000th point at Saturday’s game in Cambridge. I’m really proud of him.”
Osman prides himself on his work ethic. “I just try to get better every single day,” he said.
And he has emerged as a 3-level scorer, showing against a very good Division 1 Cambridge team (a game-high 18 points in a 70-44 defeat) that he can drive the lane and score, hit the medium-range shot, and drain the three-point beyond the arc.
“And I can play defense, too,” said Osman, adding that he considers Michael Jordan the greatest NBA player of all time.
Osman recently received some good news, having been notified of his admission to UMass Boston, where he hopes to play college basketball for the Beacons.
Credit to his coaches
Osman had nothing but superlatives for the Chelsea coaching staff, especially Castro, who’s been his mentor for four seasons.
“I love that man. All those days I asked him to open the gym early, and he always did that for me, no problem,” said Osman, who is of Somalian descent. “He [Castro] taught me how to play basketball the right way. Coach Armani [Cheek] is a great coach, too. They said I had to be able to dribble well with either hand, be able to shoot the three and play tough defense. My teammates have been awesome. They keep me up every time. They’re the reason I play hard every single day. And I’m so happy I am a student at Chelsea High School. This is my home.”
Cheek, a very good, fundamentally sound CHS backcourtman who graduated in 2020, said it’s been joyful to see Osman’s development into one of the premier players in the area.
“Moe-Mo has come a long way, and I’m very proud of where he is,” said Cheek. “I knew he’d get to this point. He didn’t always believe it, but Cesar and I pushed him as far as we possibly could to get him to realize that he’s more than capable of doing anything that he puts his mind to. So, I’m just really proud of him. It’s a good part of Chelsea history, and he’s definitely been part of the journey that we’ve been on.”
Chelsea High is 14-5 heading into the regular season finale Thursday against Malden. Then it’s on to the MIAA State Tournament next week.
And Chelsea’s newest basketball legend, Moe Osman, will be leading the way in the tournament, trying to add one more chapter of excellence in a season where Castro and Company have brought back the glory to Red Devil basketball.