Team World forward Deni Avdija (8) of the Portland Trail Blazers on the red carpet before the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome on Feb 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA, USA. (photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)JERUSALEM POST STAFFMon, February 16, 2026 at 3:15 AM UTC·2 min read"It's a dream come true," Avdija said before the tournament, holding his Team World uniform with the Israeli flag and his number 8.
Israeli NBA player Deni Avdija took to the court on Sunday evening as a starter for Team World in the NBA All-Star Game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It's a dream come true," Avdija said before the tournament, holding his Team World uniform with the Israeli flag and his number 8.
Avdija scored 5 points in the first game of the tournament; each game lasts only 12 minutes, unlike a standard 48-minute game. Team World played once more in Game III and lost again, eliminating them from the tournament. Avdija did not score in Game III.
Avdija, 25 years old and standing at 6 feet 8 inches, is the first-ever Israeli to be named an NBA All-Star, and it comes on top of what the NBA All-Star website is calling his breakout season, averaging 25.5 points per game for the Portland Trail Blazers. This is Avdija's sixth season in the NBA; he played for the Washington Wizards from 2020 to 2024 before moving to the Trail Blazers last season.
Although he holds both Israeli and Serbian citizenship and his father played for the Yugoslav national basketball team before moving to Israel, Avdija has consistently identified as Israeli. As a teenager, he chose to play for the Israeli national team despite being eligible for the Serbian team. During the All-Star Game on Sunday, Avdija was introduced as representing Israel.
Deni Avdija speaks during interviews at media day at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on February 14, 2026. (credit: William Liang-Imagn Images)LeBron James: Avdija is playing exceptional basketball
Just before the game began, Los Angeles Lakers star and 22-time All Star player Lebron James was asked about Avdija and said that "I believe he is an All-Star. He's playing exceptional basketball."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJames added that he hopes to one day visit Israel, saying, "Hopefully, someday I can make it over there. I've never been...but I've heard nothing but great things."
IDF elite unit wishes Avdija luck
Earlier on Sunday, soldiers from the IDF's 888th Multi-Dimensional "Ghost" Unit wished Avdija good luck through a video published by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
"We want to tell you that you chose the right number," the soldiers, whose faces were hidden from view, told Avdija, "and we wish you lots of good luck today in the All-Star!"
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