Deni Avdija being named an NBA All-Star reserve is an unbelievable achievement in the mind of every Israeli basketball fan. This is a dream come true for many — a dream that became realistic and even a must-happen during his breakout season — but something that in his first five seasons in the NBA never came across as something that was going to be real.
Deni’s special connection with Israeli basketball dates to his teenage years. In 2018, in his first steps as a professional with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Deni led Israel’s under-20 team to a historic gold medal in the European championship. The following year, the competition made its way to Israel, and with the love from the home crowd, Deni made it back-to-back titles. One of the scouts who came to watch him then was Mike Schmitz, now the Portland Trail Blazer’s assistant general manager. He knew then that Deni was a special talent — though maybe not this special.
Before Deni got drafted, the dreams were big. Israel never had an NBA prospect at his level, and many thought he would make the cut as a top-five pick. Some even wished that the Golden State Warriors would select him at the number-two pick. The optimists predicted that Deni’s ceiling would be making an All-Star team one day or being a borderline All-Star player.
Somehow, he fell to the ninth pick with Washington, who looked shocked by the surprising prize they got. But the Wizards turned out to be the wrong team for Deni, at least in his first few seasons. Deni was a role player who mainly made his name as a good defender, while on offense he found himself standing in the corner and hoping to hit his three-point shots.
As his fourth and final season in D.C. progressed, after a big contract extension, there was a change. On a weak Wizards team, Deni was able to showcase his talent with some excellent All-Star caliber performances, including a career-high 43-point, 15-rebound masterpiece on Feb. 14, 2024, against New Orleans. But even then, you still couldn’t call Deni an NBA star. You didn’t know what you’d get from him on a given night.
And then came the shocking trade to Portland before last season, a trade that turned out to be the best thing that happened to Deni. It was a slow start, but it didn’t take too long for everything to click. Deni started putting up good numbers, and as the season progressed he exploded, finishing the year by eclipsing 30 points in seven of his final 16 games. There was no doubt that Deni had become one of the best players, if not the best, on a competitive NBA team, a situation no Israeli player has been in.
Moshe Halickman takes a selfie with Deni Avdija in an undated photograph. (Courtesy Halickman)
Last summer, Deni returned to the Israel national team as a superstar. He was one of the best players in the Eurobasket tournament, leading Israel to a big win over France and making the round of 16, where he fell short against Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had offered what Deni called “very beautiful and moving compliments” to his Israeli opponent.
But even after Deni’s strong finish last year and excellent performance in Europe, no one believed Deni would have a season like this — one worthy of an All-Star appearance and possible selection to an All-NBA team. But he was good in the first game, then in the second, and the third, and it just went on and on. Rarely did he have a bad game. He has scored double-digit points in every game this season.
In Israel, Deni is an icon. He was honored as a torch bearer for Israel’s 77th Independence Day celebration, in recognition that his contributions to the country and the Jewish people extend far beyond basketball. As soon as the All-Star voting opened, the whole country went on a campaign to get Deni in, with fans sharing the voting link and explaining the process to generate support. It paid off, as Deni earned over 2.2 million fan votes, one of the highest totals in the league.
Deni is getting respect in the media from some of the greatest to play the game, from Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard to none other than LeBron James, and he’s looked up to as one of the best players in the league. The Ringer ranks Deni as the 17th best player in the NBA, and it’s unbelievable to see the huge names ranked below him.
Israeli basketball experts name Deni as the greatest Israeli basketball player of all time, and it looks fair to say he’s the greatest athlete this country has ever had. Many people stay up late or wake up early to watch him play in the middle of the night. This was true from the moment Deni entered the league, as fans used to do for Omri Casspi’s games. But obviously, with time, as Deni turned into a real star, more and more people are watching regularly, and it’s hard to miss a game of his. Deni himself really appreciates all of the love and the support, especially from fans who visit him in the United States, not to mention the All-Star voting.
Personally, I’ve had the honor to cover Deni since he was a young player for Maccabi, and even covered him closely at a number of games in Washington. In Israel, many kids dream to be Deni Avdija, and in recent years there is a large amount of young talent following in his footsteps. His unprecedented success has made him one of the most famous people in the country. We are looking forward to the future, hoping to see Deni very soon as the first Israeli to play in the NBA playoffs.
is an Israeli sports writer.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.