Deni Avdija is my favorite basketball player. To be fair, that is one area where he faces scant competition — I can count the number of NBA players I can name on one hand. But his league-topping record, rising stardom and devilish good looks have cemented his place as my number one All-Star.
Avdija is wrapping up his second season playing for the Portland Trailblazers. He began his NBA career at the age of 20 with the Washington Wizards, when he was drafted as the ninth pick in round one of the 2020 draft.
Avdija made a name for himself in professional basketball when he became the youngest player ever to join Maccabi Tel Aviv, the most prestigious basketball club in Israel. There, he played with men twice his age and compiled a litany of accolades. He won three Israeli championships with Maccabi Tel Aviv and was selected for the Israeli national team three times. Twice, he earned a gold medal at the International Basketball Federation under-20 European Championship, and was named MVP in 2019.
By the time he was drafted by the Wizards, Avdija’s status as a basketball prodigy was well known. In his live commentary of the draft, ESPN host Mike Greenberg placed his bets on the rookie’s American debut.
“I think this is gonna be the steal of the draft. I think, Deni Avdija, when we look back five years from now, we’re gonna see a guy who could be the best player even to come out of this draft,” Greenberg said.
Despite his obvious talent, Avdija did not immediately find his footing in Washington. In his first season, he averaged just 6.3 points a game, and was at 14.7 when the Wizards traded him to the Blazers. At the time, Portland was criticized by many NBA analysts who considered the trade an overpay.
Since arriving in Portland last season, Avdija has quickly surpassed expectations, becoming a valuable asset to the Blazers playing small forward. This season, he has averaged 23.9 points per game, putting him at 15th in the league. He is currently second in the league for free throw attempts and third in free throws made, and is tied for eighth in triple-doubles. He made international news in February when became the first Israeli to be named an NBA All-Star.
It is no exaggeration to say that Avdija has carried the team through this tumultuous season. In October, former coach Chauncey Billups was federally indicted in a gambling scandal that shook the nation. This month, the NBA approved the sale of the team’s ownership to Dallas businessman Tom Dundon, who will decide the fate of acting head coach Tiago Splitter. The Blazers have been one of the most injured teams this season, with Avdija himself suffering a back injury in January that caused him to miss 16 games before he made a full recovery and returned in early March.
Through it all, Avdija has consistently garnered respect from colleagues and fans alike, and his team has been quick to sing his praises.
“I think he is a must-have player in the league right now,” said Blazers point guard Damian Lillard to The Athletic. “He puts pressure on the rim, draws fouls, can make 3s, has size, speed. … You can see the league is changing, and if a team wants to be successful, you gotta have a guy like him. You gotta have a forward who can do all those things — and he’s all of those things.”
When a number of injured teammates left coaches with no one to play point guard, Splitter assigned the role to Avdija, who excelled despite being outside his comfort zone.
“People have to understand: He is just carrying us,” Splitter told The Athletic. “And he’s doing it playing a different position.”
Despite his rapid ascent towards stardom, Avdija continues to draw criticism for the one thing his stellar season cannot change: his nationality. Avdija was born in northern Israel to an Israeli mother and Serbian-Israeli father. He has been careful to keep his politics out of his public persona and has not spoken openly about his thoughts on domestic or international Israeli politics. Still, like many Israeli emigrants, he has repeatedly been asked to play diplomat and speak to Israel’s government and military. Avdija shared his frustrations about this expectation with The Athletic.
“I’m an athlete. I don’t really get into politics, because it’s not my job,” Avdija said. “I obviously stand for my country, because that’s where I’m from. It’s frustrating to see all the hate. Like, I have a good game or get All-Star votes, and all the comments are people connecting me to politics. Like, why can’t I just be a good basketball player? … All this hate … for no reason. Like I’m deciding things in the world.”
As the NBA becomes increasingly international, fans and journalists are faced with the challenge of deciding what is relevant to the discussion of basketball. In February of last year, prominent sports commentator Stephen A. Smith disavowed the idea of international players becoming the face of the NBA — despite the climbing number of foreign-born players on the roster.
“I don’t believe an international player can be the face of the NBA,” Smith said. “I know they’re global iconic figures, they’re popularity extends globally. But the NBA is an American-born sport. And it needs to resonate in America. And if it doesn’t resonate in America, then it’s not gonna matter to America how you resonate beyond.”
How society and fans treat and discuss foreign-born players influences the future of the league, and a hostile environment could prevent U.S. sports teams from recruiting the world’s best athletes if they have doubts about how American fans will interact with them.
In the meantime, fans should know what to expect from Avdija: steady, cooperative defense, fast, aggressive offense and a passionate drive to defend his All-Star title.
You can catch the Blazers’ final two games of the regular season this weekend on Friday, April 10 and Sunday, April 12 at the Moda Center.
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