Deni Avdija joked that it’s good he won’t face Portland Trail Blazers teammate Toumani Camara in Israel’s upcoming EuroBasket game against Belgium, as he could cause a lot of problems for the team.
After a stunning upset win against France on Sunday, the Israel national team is now preparing to face Belgium in their next game, aiming to secure a spot in the Round of 16 at EuroBasket 2025.
Israel / Schedule
This year, Belgium is missing their biggest star, as Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara has decided not to join his national team for the tournament.
Following Israel’s win over France, star player Deni Avdija was asked about Camara’s absence, jokingly saying he was glad he wouldn’t face him in their next game, as Camara could have caused a lot of problems for Israel.
"It's a funny question because I don't regret (he's not playing)," Avdija said.
"It's not good for me if he plays because he's a good player, and I need to win. But I really wanted to see him on the court playing for his country."
Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix
"As I said, I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, and I respect his decision. It definitely would be fun to compete against him. But I'm going to see him soon anyway, so it doesn't matter," he added.
Camara had a strong season with the Blazers last year, averaging 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, and was recognized as one of the league’s better defenders, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team.
Meanwhile, Avdija has been dominating EuroBasket so far, helping Israel secure 2 wins in 3 games, averaging 22 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
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